The New York Rangers made waves yesterday when they held star forward Artemi Panarin out of their lineup for roster management reasons, indicating that the team plans on trading the player at some point in the near future. One team that has emerged as a contender for Panarin’s services is the San Jose Sharks. According to Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now, the Sharks “have inquired” about trading for Panarin, and Panarin “would be willing to sign an extension with San Jose.”
It was reported in no uncertain terms yesterday that Panarin, who owns a full no-move clause and therefore has complete control over the trade process, is only interested in being dealt to a team where he will not be a rental player; he’s only interested in trades to teams where he sees himself playing beyond 2025-26. Based on Peng’s report, it appears the Sharks are one of those teams.
That San Jose is in a position to potentially swing a deal for Panarin is a real surprise, at least based on the position their franchise appeared to be in at the start of the season. The rebuilding Sharks were the NHL’s worst team last season, and few expected them to make such a sizable leap in 2025-26. The generally held belief was that while San Jose was likely to improve, they’d still need to develop and add more talent before seriously competing for a playoff spot.
The brilliance of star pivot Macklin Celebrini has changed things. He’s played like a legitimate Hart Trophy contender, scoring 78 points in 51 games and powering the Sharks to a surprising 27-21-3 record, good for the Western Conference’s final playoff spot.
The Sharks are a team on the rise, and it’s understandable that they’d be interested in adding Panarin to their already extremely talented forward group. While Panarin, at 34, doesn’t fit the Sharks’ long-term vision, his addition could provide a serious boost to both the team’s near-term competitive hopes, as well as the development of some of their younger scoring forwards. 
Panarin, who has 57 points in 52 games, has for the bulk of his time with the Rangers been one of the NHL’s premier wingers. There have been few more lethal scoring threats than Panarin at his position, and one has to believe getting the chance to play with, and learn from Panarin could pay dividends for young scorers such as Will Smith, William Eklund, and even Michael Misa down the line.
While the Sharks are only one of likely several teams to be interested in Panarin, there are a few factors both working against them, and in their favor.
San Jose’s status as a West Coast team may hurt them. The Athletic’s Vincent Z. Mercogliano reported that Panarin has a preference to sign with an Eastern Conference team. Mercogliano indicated the comparable ease of travel back to Russia could be a factor that helps explain the player’s Eastern Conference preference. It is worth noting that while he might prefer to stay east, Panarin is not entirely ruling out Western Conference landing spots, like San Jose.
Working in the Sharks’ favor is the fact that their GM is no stranger to making deals with the Rangers. Sharks GM Mike Grier used to work alongside Rangers GM Chris Drury in New York’s hockey operations department, and this wouldn’t be the first trade the pair complete together.
Additionally, the Sharks are owners of one of the league’s top prospect pools, meaning they can offer the Rangers a greater degree of choice to construct their ideal return package, whereas other clubs looking to acquire Panarin may only have a small handful of premier young players to dangle.
While there’s no guarantee, of course, that Panarin does end up a Shark, Peng’s report clearly indicates they are a team to watch as this process unfolds.
Photos courtesy of Brad Penner-Imagn Images