When the Rangers decided to have Artemi Panarin sit out for “roster management reasons” last week, it likely meant that he played his final game on Jan. 26. At least he helped lead them to a win before a forgettable January concluded with the Rangers finishing a woeful 3-10-1.

That included losing twice to the Islanders, who completed a sweep of the season series in a home-and-home series on Jan. 28-29. Without Panarin, the Rangers have lost three in a row, including a 6-5 defeat at the Penguins that wasn’t as close as the final score indicated. They were uncompetitive for over two periods by falling behind 5-1 at one point in the third. Late goals from Alexis Lafreniere and Will Cuylle came after Ben Kindel’s empty netter sealed it.

They haven’t played since Jan. 31 in Pittburgh. With a break in the schedule that probably feels like a relief for fans who have had to endure a team that lacks passion, talks have heated up about where Panarin could wind up. With less than 24 hours until Wednesday’s 3 PM Olympic roster freeze, several teams are interested in acquiring Panarin. With the 34-year-old determined to sign an extension, it’s minimized potential destinations. Here’s a look at some possible landing spots for the Bread Man.

A Florida Reunion?

The sense is that Panarin would prefer to go to Florida where he could be reunited with former Blue Jacket teammate Sergei Bobrovsky. The question is whether or not they can make it work. Unlike other teams, the Panthers don’t have a first round pick in 2026 or 2027. They would have to clear room by moving off another player for it to happen. That could likely mean the Rangers taking back Evan Rodriguez or Eetu Luostarinen, who both are signed for the same $3 million cap hit through 2027. They’d have to retain about half of Panarin’s salary in such a deal.

Florida doesn’t boast many prospects in their system. Perhaps the Rangers could ask for Mackie Samoskevich, who remains an intriguing player. The 2021 first round pick hasn’t been as good in his second season, with five goals and 15 assists for 20 points in 53 games. In his rookie year, Samoskevich had 15 goals and 16 assists for 31 points.

If they want a prospect, Jack Devine is probably someone to key in on. He was selected in the seventh round by the Panthers in 2022. That didn’t stop him from putting together an impressive collegiate career with Denver that included 56 points and 57 in his final two seasons for the Pioneers. In his first pro season, the 22-year-old forward has 29 points for the Charlotte Checkers in the American Hockey League. He appeared in six games for the Panthers without recording a point.

With the Panthers now nine points out of the final wild card, it’s anyone’s guess what they’ll do. After losing at home to the Sabres in regulation, they have 27 games left to try to figure things out.

Will Lightning Strike Twice

.In February 2018, following the original Letter from former Rangers architect Jeff Gorton, the Rangers traded captain Ryan McDonagh and J.T. Miller to the Lightning for Vladislav Namestnikov, Brett Howden, Libor Hajek, a 2018 first round pick, and a 2019 second round pick. Unfortunately, they selected Nils Lundkvist with the first round pick. He never fulfilled the ridiculous hype after putting up impressive numbers in Sweden. Eventually, he was traded to the Stars who he still plays for sporadically. Karl Henriksson became the second round pick in what became one of the worst trades in franchise history.

Ironically, Howden became a key piece for the Golden Knights, helping them win the Stanley Cup. Hajek was a complete bust who now plays back home in Czechia. Namestnikov has played for six teams since the Rangers moved him to Ottawa in another mind-numbing deal. They actually threw away a solid top nine forward who benefited from playing with Nikita Kucherov in 2017-18.

With Panarin preferring the sunshine state, would Rangers team president and general manager Chris Drury consider a redux with the Lightning? The appeal is obvious for Panarin, who could form a dynamic duo on the Bolts’ top line playing with Kucherov, who’s been on fire, putting up 31 points in January. Even without Brayden Point, the Lightning are first in the East with 74 points. Captain Victor Hedman was just activated off injured reserve.

The Lightning made some headlines by completing a four-goal comeback to stun the Bruins in the Stadium Series on Sunday by winning it in a shootout. They don’t lack offense due to Kucherov, Jake Guentzel, and Brandon Hagel leading the way, along with revelation Darren Raddysh, who once was in the Rangers organization. It’s yet another example of a player getting away. Raddysh could’ve easily filled the top power play quarterback opening for oft-injured defenseman Adam Fox. Instead, his accurate shot is lighting it up for Tampa.

To be blunt, Panarin to the Lightning doesn’t seem likely due to the lack of cap space they currently have, which is over $26,000 according to Puck Pedia. In such a deal, Oliver Bjorkstrand ($5.4 million AAV) would have to come back on an expiring contract. If they actually made it work, they’d have to accept a 2028 first round pick, along with a second round pick in either 2026 or 2027. The young player could be either Dominic James, Conor Geekie, or Sam O’Reilly, who the Lightning got back for Isaac Howard.

I’d sign up for Geekie, who’s further along than O’Reilly. He scored eight times for the Bolts last season. If he’s anything like older brother Morgan, that’s exactly what the Rangers need. Currently playing for the Syracuse Crunch, the 21-year-old Geekie has 37 points to rank second in team scoring. Listed at six-foot four, 212 pounds, he’s an intriguing prospect that the Lightning acquired as part of the Mikhail Sergachev deal with Utah.

If it actually happens, the Lightning would become a must watch with Panarin trying to help them win a third Stanley Cup.

A Hollywood Story

Perhaps there’s no team that could use a player of Panarin’s talent than the offensively starved Kings who entered Tuesday night ranked 29th in goals-per-game (2.57). Despite being one of the league’s worst offenses, Los Angeles sits only a point behind the Ducks for the last wild card. Combined with the Blackhawks’ win over the Sharks, they’re in a tight race for the playoffs. They can still jump over the Kraken in the Northwest Division for third place. Even first place is attainable with neither the Golden Knights or Oilers pulling away.

Unlike the Panthers or Lightning, the Kings have plenty of room to fit in Panarin, whose remaining salary for the season wouldn’t be an issue. They have over $14 million in cap space, which makes them a logical candidate. However, it all depends on what Panarin wants. He holds all the cards. So, if he wants to force a trade to play with his buddy in Florida, that could leave the Rangers with not as much leverage.

However, let’s say he’s open to moving out to Hollywood where he’d be featured on the billboard at Crypto.com Arena. That would be enticing for a star of his caliber to spend the remainder of his career in LA where Shohei Ohtani is printing money for the Dodgers. If Panarin decided to go and help the Kings win another Cup, it would have a similar script to Marian Gaborik, who burned his former teammates in 2014. Unlike back then, I could think of worse scenarios with the Rangers a long way off from contending.

In the final year of Anze Kopitar’s brilliant career with the Kings, they probably want to make a big splash. If they were able to add Panarin, who could play with Adrian Kempe and Kopitar, it would be worth watching.

If such a trade comes to fruition, the Kings have their first round pick and two seconds in 2026. 2024 first round pick Liam Greentree would be a player the Rangers should have interest in. In 2024-25, he put up 49 goals and 70 assists for 119 points with the Windsor Spitfires of the Ontario Hockey League. That included a team best 14 goals and 10 helpers for 24 points in the OHL playoffs. In 34 games this season, Greentree has 23 goals and 22 assists for 45 points. In an irony of sorts, his teammate is Jack Nesbitt, who the Flyers took with the first round pick the Rangers parted with to re-acquire Miller on Jan. 31, 2024. After the Canucks traded it for Marcus Pettersson in a five-player deal, the Penguins traded down with the Flyers last Jun. 27.

Aside from Greentee, who just turned 20 on New Year’s Day, the Kings also have recent World Junior Championships Most Valuable Player Vojtech Cihar, who led Czechia with a dozen points to help them finish runner-up to Sweden. A 2025 second round pick who already signed an entry level contract, Cihar has a goal and eight assists for nine points in 11 games for the Kelowna Rockets in the Western Hockey League. Originally, he played back home in Czechia before deciding to come over to North America to develop further.

If the Rangers took Cihar, they’d probably want former Team USA standout Alex Turcotte, who’s only in his second full season. Now 24, Turcotte has totaled 41 points in 149 career games. The former 2019 fifth overall pick has never earned a top six role. Perhaps he needs a change of scenery to prove himself.

A Sharks’ Dream

Recently, the Rangers claimed Vincent Iorio from the Sharks, who are said to be in the mix for Panarin. Having lost their last three to fall three points behind the rival Ducks, they’re right there in the playoff race.

Boasting Hart candidate Macklin Celebrini, who ranks fourth in scoring with a remarkable 81 points as a 19-year-old, the Sharks can really use another star to play with their franchise player. Problematic is that the next highest scorer is sidekick Will Smith, who has 39 points in 41 games. If they were to add Panarin, that could become a dominant scoring line with the elder star able to bring them back to the postseason for the first time this decade. A place they haven’t been since 2018-19 when Hall of Famer Joe Thornton headlined a strong team that reached the Western Conference Finals.

Due to the greatness of Celebrini, the Sharks are already a fun watch. He’s been mentioned in the same breath as Sidney Crosby, Connor McDavid, and Nathan MacKinnon. Current Rangers coach Mike Sullivam heaped praise on Celebrini by making the comparison to Crosby, who led the Pens to back-to-back Cups under Sullivan, who was recently honored along with that championship team a decade later this past Saturday.

How much does Sharks GM Mike Grier value winning? The Sharks are ahead of schedule due to Celebrini, who has put the team on his back in one of the best second seasons a player has ever had. While he won’t reach the status of Wayne Gretzky or Mario Lemieux, he’s going to hit the 100-point mark as a teenager. It’s all the more impressive due to a supporting cast that’s sprinkled with veterans and young players, like Smith, William Eklund, and 2025 first round pick Michael Misa.

In adding former Canucks forward Kiefer Sherwood, who’s expected back soon, San Jose doesn’t have much projected cap space ($721,562). However, their deadline space ($9.82 million) would be more than enough to make it work. If they really wanted to bring in Panarin for not just this season, but for the next four years, it would make the Sharks a hot destination. They’ll have to sign Celebrini to a big extension this summer, with the new deal not kicking in until 2027-28.

With Smith also turning restricted the following year, along with the promising Collin Graf due a raise this off-season, perhaps it makes more sense to not acquire Panarin. They’re still in a rebuild. If the parameters of a deal were presented, it would include either prospect Filip Bystedt or Quentin Musty with a top five protected first round pick and conditional second. The Sharks have two firsts in this year’s draft. Both Bystedt and Musty are considered good prospects who were taken in the first round. The 21-year-old Bystedt represented Sweden twice at the WJC, and is in his second pro season with the San Jose Barracuda, leading them in scoring with 36 points. Musty has 20 points in his first year.

What About Ovechkin?

If there’s a team that’s much closer to where Panarin is, it’s the Capitals. He wouldn’t have to head too far to team with Alex Ovechkin in Washington, DC. In what could be his countryman’s final swan song, the idea of pairing up two of the most exciting Russian stars would be something. Imagine opponents having to stop both Ovechkin and Panarin on the power play in a series. Considering who else the Caps still have to run it, that could be lethal if they were to make the playoffs.

A recent win over the Islanders has pulled the Caps within two points of third in the Metropolitan Division. They trail the Bruins by five for the final wild card. Unlike last season, when a determined Ovechkin was on a mission to pass Gretzky for the all-time record in goals, Washington isn’t a high scoring team. They’re led by Tom Wilson, whose tied with Ovechkin for the team lead in goals (22) despite missing nine games. The next closest is Jakob Chychrun, who could lead all defensemen in goals.

They certainly could use more offense, which Panarin can create. His skating and playmaking would make him a good fit for the Caps, who are led in assists by John Carlson with 35. Dylan Strome hasn’t been able to match his career season, which included 53 assists. If you took his current total of 38 helpers, the Bread Man would rank first on the Caps in apples. He also would lead them in points with his 57 a credit to the high caliber player he is. Especially on a lackluster team that hasn’t had many consistent performers.

If they decided to go all in, the Caps could offer either their 2026 first round pick or 2027 along with a conditional second, and a good prospect. The Rangers would probably want Ilya Protas, who’s the younger brother of Aliaksei. A 2024 third round pick, the 19-year-old Protas teamed up with Greentree last season by putting up 50 goals with 74 assists for 124 points with the Spitfires. In the OHL playoffs, he had 25 points, including 20 helpers. So far, he’s done well for the Hershey Bears by leading them with 17 goals, 18 assists, and 35 points.

Andrew Cristall is right behind with 33 points. The 20-year-old forward was a second round pick in 2023. Cristall put up a combined 132 points (48-84-132) between the Kelowna Rockets and Spokane Chiefs in the WHL in 2024-25. His 21 goals and 20 assists for 41 points were right behind Kraken rookie Berkly Catton, who paced them with 42 during the WHL playoffs. The Chiefs lost to the Medicine Hat Tigers for the WHL Championship. Either Cristall or Protas would be the kind of young prospect the Rangers should be looking for in return if Panarin is willing to sign an extension with the Caps.

Whether or not they decide to swing such a deal depends on their injuries. Both goalies are on the injured reserve, along with Pierre-Luc Dubois (LTIR), Connor McMichael, and Matt Roy. The condensed schedule has had a negative impact on this season, which could spell the end of NHL participation in the Olympics. The Caps currently have over $5.78 million in cap space, with the deadline space over $10 million.Much depends on what happens with their injured players.

I highly doubt that the Caps will take the risk due to all of the issues their current roster has.

Final Thoughts

I could easily include a sixth team, with the Red Wings reportedly having interest in Panarin. However, I feel like it’s going to come down to either Florida or Los Angeles for Panarin. While I’m against any trade with the Panthers due to future assets, it’s really up to the player, who has full control. If he really wants to go play with Bobrovsky and try to chase down the wild card, that’s his prerogative. He earned the full no-movement clause, and lived up to the contract.

The Kings feel like a great fit for Bread Man. The whole idea of going to LA and playing under the spotlight seems ideal. I’d love to see him choose the Sharks. That would be the ultimate move for the league. Panarin and Celebrini together helping San Jose back to the playoffs, where they’d be dangerous.

We’ll see what Panarin decides. I hope I won’t be disappointed in the return. Watch nothing happen until after the Olympics. That would be a nightmare. Most observers want this to be over. Hopefully, it will be by tomorrow afternoon.