The New York Rangers haven’t been able to figure out a way to crawl out from the bottom of the standings this season, and find themselves headed towards being sellers at the 2026 Trade Deadline. With the expectation being that they will be trading Artemi Panarin, there are a few teams that have emerged as potential suitors, but the Carolina Hurricanes have emerged as one of the most interesting fits.
Related: Suggested Trade Has Canadiens Acquiring Alexis Lafreniere From the Rangers
The Hurricanes seem poised to make a deep playoff run this season, and they would like to win their first Stanley Cup since 2006. Landing a big fish like Panarin and bolstering their top-six forward group could be exactly what they need to be considered favourites heading into the postseason, but it could be an interesting situation, and would it make any sense?
I spoke with The Hockey Writers’ Zach Martin, who told me that the Hurricanes may be hesitant to give up a lot of assets for a rental. He also added that it would be interesting to see how the two teams would be able to work this out, when a top-six winger may not be the Hurricanes’ biggest need heading toward the 2026 Trade Deadline, instead indicating they may need a second-line centre even more.
With that being said, the Hurricanes do have a ton of cap space to make a deal work for Panarin, while also being able to go and acquire a centre if they want to do so. They may not want to spend a ton of assets on Panarin if he doesn’t come with an extension attached, but even if he doesn’t, he could be one of the final pieces of the puzzle to help them win a championship this season.
While we will look at a potential fit between Panarin and the Hurricanes, keep in mind that this article is just showcasing a hypothetical trade idea. There is no indication that any trade is close, and this is just a mock trade. There have been reports that linked the Hurricanes to Panarin as a potential fit, but there hasn’t been anything indicating the Hurricanes have shown interest.
Hurricanes Land Panarin, Rangers Land Star Youngster & Picks
Panarin has a full no-movement clause, meaning he controls where he can be traded. With that being said, it’s fair to assume he will be open to waiving his trade protection to join a contending team like the Hurricanes. The Hurricanes have the cap space to take on Panarin’s full contract, so assuming he would be open to joining them, a deal would likely get done.
While the Rangers don’t have much leverage, Panarin could do the Rangers a favour and give them several teams he would be open to waiving his trade protection for, creating a bidding war, and thus, maximizing a trade return. They would likely want the Rangers to retain money, increasing the return even more, but also giving the Hurricanes even more flexibility to target another player or two at the trade deadline.
Realistically, the Hurricanes would acquire Panarin at 50% retained, in exchange for Alexander Nikishin, their own 2028 first-round pick, and their own 2027 third-round pick. The Hurricanes have two first-round picks in 2028 and two third-round picks in 2027, so moving those two picks doesn’t hurt them. Moving on from a potential star like Nikishin only happens if Panarin comes with an extension. If he doesn’t, the deal likely shifts to a second-round pick instead of Nikishin.
The Hurricanes would have the money to spend elsewhere on another player if they wanted to, and the Rangers would receive strong assets in return, rather than losing Panarin for nothing. We will see if the Hurricanes try to make a move on Panarin this season, or if the Rangers even end up moving him, but a potential move makes perfect sense.
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