Report: Artemi Panarin sweepstakes tightens as insider links two serious contenders as frontrunners
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Artemi Panarin trade talk has New York Rangers fans watching the Colorado Avalanche and Washington Capitals closely after a trusted insider links the two teams as frontrunners to acquire him.
The latest push came from Vince Z. Mercogliano, who wrote that Panarin declined to get into specifics, but he believes Colorado and Washington have engaged in trade talks and sit as the early front-runners.
Artemi Panarin declined to go into specifics about what comes next, but two front-runners we believe have engaged in trade talks are COL and WAS. DAL and CAR are among others to watch, with FLA an appealing destination but cap an issue.
Artemi Panarin trade talks hit Colorado and Washington
Colorado makes sense, they can play fast, they attack off the rush, and adding Panarin would juice a top-six that already forces matchups every night.
Washington is the other clean connection, because they are openly hunting high-end wing help and have a prospect pool that could actually tempt the Rangers. That’s the kind of return you chase when draft capital is part of the long-term pain.
The cap math is where this gets real, fast. Panarin has a full no-move clause, and any deal likely needs retention or a third team to make the numbers work for a contender.
If the Rangers truly go down this road, the ask has to be painful for the buyer, premium picks, an NHL-ready piece, and a prospect with upside. The next milestone is simple, watch whether Panarin actually opens the door, because nothing happens until he does.
Previously on NY Hockey Insider