B/R Open Ice Rink: New York Rangers’ Frank Seravalli and pending UFA forward Artemi. What’s the latest?
** Transcribed by NHLRumors.com
“So everyone on the app and in our YouTube chat wants to talk about Artemi Panarin of the New York Rangers. Artemi Panarin. Artemi Panarin, what happened? When did they trade him? Where did they trade him?
Well, slowing down is the first thing I would say. I know everyone is excited, but we are still a long, long way from the NHL trade deadline (in March).
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Yes, contract extension talks between the New York Rangers and Artemi Panarin’s camp are moving very slowly. But I still think the Rangers ultimately want to see what kind of team they have first. They won three of four games on the Western Conference road trip.
By the way, speaking of the standings, with that 3-1 record, they are now back in playoff contention. Likewise, the Boston Bruins, who are at the bottom of the Eastern Conference, are now back near a playoff spot and are once again in the mix after three straight wins. That’s all.
So until we really know how good the New York Rangers are, I don’t believe they’re going to chop off their own nose just to embarrass themselves this season and make an immediate move to trade Artemi Panarin. I don’t think this will happen. I think before making any big decisions, they want to know where their team sits in the hierarchy of the Eastern Conference and the NHL as a whole.
They’ve been very pleased with Panarin’s performance since he arrived as a free agent. He’s obviously a huge part of this team and he’s arguably one of the best free agent signings ever. When you think about how he came in, his production, his speed and the success the Rangers had coming out of the rebuild and him leading them into a new era of New York Rangers hockey.
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Look, everyone is excited about the Panarin trade talks. I mentioned the Carolina Hurricanes as one of the teams keeping a close eye on the situation. They’re not alone, but it will be interesting to see it all come together as the Rangers want more time to figure out what they’ve got before taking any more drastic measures.
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