The New York Rangers will sit forward Artemi Panarin for their game against the New York Islanders on Wednesday at UBS Arena as part of roster management. The decision comes during the team's retooling efforts, with Panarin not expected to play in the final three games before the Olympic roster freeze on February 4. Panarin, in the final year of his contract, has been informed the Rangers will help him find a new team before the trade deadline.
The New York Rangers are making significant moves as they retool their roster for the future. Forward Artemi Panarin, who leads the team with 57 points (19 goals, 38 assists) in 52 games, will sit out the Rangers' matchup against the New York Islanders at UBS Arena on Wednesday. This absence is for roster management purposes and extends to the team's final three games before the roster freeze for the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026, which begins on February 4. The Rangers' last game before the Olympic break is against the Carolina Hurricanes on February 5.
Panarin is in the final season of a seven-year, $81.5 million contract that includes a full no-movement clause, making him an unrestricted free agent on July 1. Earlier this month, general manager Chris Drury informed Panarin that the Rangers do not plan to offer him a new contract but will assist in finding a new team before the 2026 NHL Trade Deadline on March 6. Sitting Panarin now suggests the team is either nearing a trade or protecting him from injury during this transitional period.
"The team decided to go in a different direction," Panarin said after a 6-3 win against the Philadelphia Flyers on January 17. "I'm OK with that."
This move follows Drury's public letter to fans on January 16, announcing the start of roster retooling. "With our position in the standings and injuries to key players this season, we must be honest and realistic about our situation," Drury wrote. "We are not going to stand pat. A shift will give us the ability to be smart and opportunistic as we retool the team. This will not be a rebuild. This will be a retool built around our core players and prospects."
The Rangers, with a record of 22-25-6 and 50 points, sit last in the Eastern Conference and have gone 3-9-2 in their past 14 games. Panarin has been the team's leading scorer every season since joining in 2019-20, amassing 607 points (205 goals, 402 assists) in 482 games, ranking him ninth in franchise points and first in points per game at 1.26.
In a related transaction, the Rangers traded defenseman Carson Soucy to the Islanders on Monday for a third-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft. Soucy, in the final year of a three-year, $9.75 million contract, is expected to play against his former team on Wednesday.
