Panarin focused on this season with Rangers, won't talk contract

GREENBURGH, N.Y. -- Artemi Panarin is focusing on his preparation for this season and doesn't want to publicly discuss his contract situation, the New York Rangers forward said Thursday.

Panarin is entering the final season of a seven-year, $81.5 million contract he signed with the Rangers on July 1, 2019, the last time he was an unrestricted free agent. The 33-year-old can become a UFA on July 1, 2026, and was non-committal on if he feels it to be important to re-sign with New York before or during the season.

"That's obviously good for everyone to feel that security, but I'm not in my first year in hockey so I'm used to being in those situations, not every year but it is what it is right now," Panarin said. "I'm not complaining right now. I'm ready to work hard."

Panarin has led the Rangers in scoring in each of his first six seasons with them, including an NHL career-high 120 points (49 goals, 71 assists) in 2023-24. He is fourth in the League since 2019-20 with 550 points (186 goals, 364 assists) in 430 games. He has 119 more points than any other Rangers player during that stretch, ahead of Mika Zibanejad's 431, and had 89 points (37 goals, 52 assists) in 80 games last season.

"I've said many times on record what I think of him as a player," Rangers general manager Chris Drury said Wednesday. "He's a huge piece of our team and our organization. He does not appear to me to be slowing down. He takes his offseason seriously. He looks like he's in great shape and ready to go.

"As far as the contract stuff, I've also said on record that I don't talk about negotiations publicly. Any conversations I have with Artemi or his representation will stay that way, just private."

Panarin went through the 2018-19 season with the Columbus Blue Jackets as a pending UFA. He led the Blue Jackets that season with 87 points (29 goals, 58 assists) in 79 games. He said he doesn't recall his contractual status being too big of a factor in how he performed on the ice.

"It was all right," Panarin said. "Obviously after bad games you're thinking too much sometimes, but good games you enjoy more than usual."

Panarin is one of a handful of high-profile players who can become UFAs after this season, including Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid, Vegas Golden Knights center Jack Eichel, Minnesota Wild forward Kirill Kaprizov and Winnipeg Jets forward Kyle Connor.

"He's a gamebreaker in so many ways," Rangers coach Mike Sullivan said of Panarin. "There's not a lot of them and he's one of them."