NHL Rumor Mill – August 28, 2025
Check out the latest on Rangers winger Artemi Panarin and Flames defenseman Rasmus Andersson in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.
BLEACHER REPORT: Frank Seravalli believes the New York Rangers will stage a bounce-back performance this season, leading him to assume that they will attempt to sign winger Artemi Panarin to a contract extension.
New York Rangers winger Artemi Panarin (NHL Images).
Panarin, 33, is in the final season of his eight-year contract with an annual average value of $11.642 million. He will be eligible for unrestricted free-agent status next July 1.
Seravalli admits that might be a hot-button issue for Rangers fans given their inability to win the Stanley Cup with Panarin thus far. He acknowledged the possibility that they could shop the winger if they’re out of playoff contention by the March trade deadline.
Nevertheless, Seravalli thinks there could be a deal on the table that makes sense for both sides, depending on how this season pans out.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: This will be an interesting season for the Rangers. General manager Chris Drury has made a series of moves since last December to shake up the roster core and try to get them back on track after last season’s disappointing performance. The outcome will determine Panarin’s future in New York City.
THE ATHLETIC: Michael Russo reports Calgary Flames captain Mikael Backlund believes the upcoming season will be the last for teammate Rasmus Andersson in the Stampede City. The 28-year-old defenseman is in the final season of his contract and UFA-eligible next July.
“Yeah, he’s getting traded. It’s obvious,” Backlund said during the NHL media tour in Europe. “But the team wants value. He wants a big contract. So he wants to play well. The team needs him to play well. So, just go out and play.”
Backlund indicated that he’s spoken to Andersson, saying the blueliner doesn’t want to be a distraction. He doesn’t think the two sides are close to an agreement on a new contract, but didn’t rule out the possibility.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Andersson’s been the subject of trade rumors since extension talks with the Flames broke down in June. He and Flames management have remained cordial, with both sides agreeing that there is no issue with him being in the Flames lineup for the upcoming season.
Andersson may be sincere about not wanting his contract status to become a distraction, but that won’t stop fans and pundits from speculating over where he might end up by the March trade deadline, especially if the Flames are out of playoff contention by then.
I think the Flames would be willing to pay Andersson. I don’t blame a player trying to make bank at least once in their career. Like all NHLers they want to win and be in the playoffs on a regular basis.
I hope it does not drag on until the TD. Always the risk of injury
Conroy will want 3-4 assets which likely includes a first, a roster player and a good prospect.
I wonder what Andersson is truly seeking. I don’t see him as an $8M player, but who knows based on other deals this past summer.
KAndre Miller is getting $7.5 now. Gavrikov $7M.
So those are probably his comparables, right?
Does Calgary offer up a 7x$7M?
If he want’s more than that I probably just trade him, especially since Calgary has Parekh coming up to take over their PP soon.
The market would have to be pretty dry for defensive help at the deadline causing quite the bidding war to get that return. Not impossible but unlikely
The thing with Calgary is, there haven’t been many teams that finished with more than 95 points over an 82-game schedule that also missed the playoffs – if any in recent history!
Their record of 41 27 14 96pts and a .565 pts % – in MOST seasons – should normally have qualified them. Their 238 goal against ranked them 8th in the Western Conference, just 2 back of Edmonton who went to the finals. Some minor tweaking there, combined with the added experience gained by Wolf could easily move that category up a few notches. Moving Andersson would be step in the wrong direction there.
Their 225 goals for, however, were just 13th best in the Western Conference, giving them a minus 13 goals differential, and it’s that aspect of their game that needs a boost.
Right now they are committed to 22 players (13F 7D 2G) and have just RFA C Connor Zary to re-sign. With $15,412,500 in cap reserve they have more than enough to get that done AND, perhaps, deal for some additional offensive power using, if necessary, an asset or two from their 15th ranked prospect pool.
Andersson ++ for J. Robertson makes a lot of sense! More goal production is needed!
Except, JohnnyZ, I don’t see the logic in detracting from their defense to shore up their offense.
They have the cap to keep Andersson and use other assets to acquire additional offense … maybe not with Dallas, but there are other teams out there who are perilously close to the cap limit who might be willing to create more wiggle room by parting with a term F who could add a bit of offensive juice to the Flames, and be content to take back a good prospect.
That would be a bit in the nature of mortgaging the future – but they are so close to being among the top 8 in the West.
I hope the Rangers bounce back…right back into the dumpster fire that was last season.
Heh. Do I detect a hint of anti-NYR sentiment there Some Old Guy? Seems to match my thoughts on Vegas!
But where the Rangers are concerned, I think they could still be a viable candidate for a return to the playoffs – IF they make an effort to acquire a better back-up to Shesterkin. His record over 61gp this past season may have experienced a light dip from his career marks, but a 2.86gaa and .905 save % (compared to career records of 2.52gaa and .917 save %) wasn’t all that bad.
The same can’t be said for soon to be 40 y/o back-up Quick (24gp 3.17gaaand 0.893 save %). To me, that was the one factor that prevented them from reaching the playoffs.
That and their 255ga which, among playoff teams, was exceeded only by Montreal (265). Their offense of 256gf, however, was better than playoff teams Montreal (245), Ottawa (243), NJ (242), Florida (252), and just 10 b/o Carolina.
The rangers are a team that the media always seems to overrate. Everyone always seems to believe that they’ll break through and contend, and yet they never do.
I’m not so sure they’ve improves over last season. Picking up Gavrikov and trading Miller is little more than a wash. Kreider and Trouba have not been replaced. They have solid top line players but not much depth. And numerous underachievers.
Think about it. Their second defense pairing is Will Borgen and Carson Soucy.
Howard, in the Covid-shortened 2020-21 season they had a mediocre 60pts season to finish 16th in the Conference.
In the 82-game 2021-22 season they upped that to 110 pts and a +47 goal differential, followed in 2022-23 by another very respectable 107pts and a+53 goal differential, and won the Conference in 2023-24 with a monster 114-pts season and a +53 goal differential.
So. not sure where, in that process, they’ve been overrated – unless you mean in terms of going all the way to the Cup.
Yeah, some key players have grown longer in the tooth in that span, and other have been dealt away or lost to free agency, which no doubt was a factor in last season’s down record … but even then they were not that far out of it – 6 pts over 82gp is certainly not considered insurmountable.
We’ll have a better handle on their prospects by about the 15-game mark.
2 eastern conference finals in 3 years going into last year.
Miller is no Gavrikov. Not even close.
Not sure why you think Borgen is a problem. He’s certainly not putting up highlight reel goals. But he’s a solid stay at home guy. Don’t like the idea of being paired with Soucy. But can’t imagine it’s worse than Miller.
Borgen is a similar type of player to Trouba. Cullye is emerging as a solid replacement for Kreider. (He actually finished ahead of Kreider in scoring last year)
And they can always revert Laffrienere back to Lw.
They have 4-5 solid prospects in the pipeline.
Not sure who exactly is overrating NY. Certainly haven’t been cup favorites in anyone’s eyes. Including NY beat writers.
5-6 Ranger fans here. Haven’t seen one of them claim NY is a cup threat in recent years?
So I’m trying to put my finger on who’s overrating them? Other fan bases?
Problem George is Weegar is a RHS D playing the wrong side, Parekh looks amazing & would be a top 2 RHD in no time. Then we have RHS Bruz looking real real good & ready for the Prime time at some point this year. Then we another RHS that looks fantastic in Mews. Really, signing Andersen doesnt fit. I would be down with Andersen @ 50% & Zary for Robertson. We have basically 2 years to get Robertson sold on Calgary & if he doesnt want to extend in a Canadian city, we certainly will be able to flip him for some pretty decent value when that time came. The only sure NHL LHS D we have is Bahl.
Johnny Z i like that proposal..
– Anderson for Robertson does make sense…maybe something is added but overall good for both teams.
Calgary is moving on from him anyway both teams win. Calgary needs more punch and Dallas besides Heskinan was off last year defensively.
Andersson ($2M retained) and Vegas 1st for Robo
Let the good times roll!
How does this make sense? You’d pretty much be giving Anderson away for nothing because there is no chance Robertson is re signing in Calgary. Take the pics and mid level prospects and flip them for someone with term
Bob prospects many are suspects…they never pan out….
Look you weren’t keeping Anderson more than a year and they could resign Robertson you don’t know that they can’t resign him.
George, defense was a joke last year and hopefully new coaching staff can fix with new additions. I’m not a huge fan of Quick, but he had a record of 11-7-2 last season. They have a couple decent prospects if needed.
As for Panarin. No, they haven’t won a cup with him, but it’s been many years without him as well. He’s been an offensive force, but not so much in playoffs. In fact he’s been a minus player in playoffs. He turns 34 at start of season, and thus will be 35 when new deal kicks in. There’s no reason to commit to an extension now. Who knows who becomes available next off season. Having that cap space might be better spent on a younger player. Or 2
As a Ranger fan, I don’t want to see an early extension on Panarin. Let the season play out a bit. If the funk from last year continues, maybe he is sold at the deadline for a quick retool.
If Rangers are in the thick of the race, try to offer him up a 3-4 year deal. I wouldn’t go more than that. As he approaches 40 he can probably still be a good PP facilitator and 2nd line guy (similar to the role Giroux has played in Ott).
If he wants a 6+ year deal, might just need to let him play out the season without a deal (the old “own rental” theory).
I do see the Rangers bouncing back into playoff contention as last year was pretty much rock bottom, so the only way to bounce now is up. Being in playoff contention will def make contract decisions around Panarin harder though.
Panarins deal was a 7 year deal signed as a UFA. Not 8.
I’m all for bringing him back on a bit friendlier deal. He is top 5 in scoring the last 5 years. Trailing only Mcdavid , Draisaitl, MacKinnon and Rantanen.
Getting him on a 3-4 year deal under 9-10 would be a bargain.
Available UFAs/RFAs and PTO’s/Retirement/Europe/battling for 2-way or AHL contract:
Per PuckPedia; all but 8 teams are at 23 of 23 on their rosters:
@ 22/23: Knights, Cannucks, Sens,Preds, Flames, Black Hawks, Sharks
Setting aside that PuckPedia is making guesses on some teams for bottom players who may be waived to AHL; the above effectively means there are 8 or so total “blanks” for NHL contracts throughout the league
Then just look at RFAs…. McTavish, Hughes , Zary who WILL get an NHL contract; and Kupari, Holtz, Sonrango “Likely”
to get NHL contracts
Then add UFAs Fabbri and Roslovic more than likely to get an NHL contract
That leaves 2 RFAs (Kaiser,
Evangelista) , about 3 dozen (mostly very long in the tooth) UFAs and dozens of eager beaver youngsters (from recent drafts) all battling it out in camp and pre-season for a handful of spots total.
This leads me to believe that there will be quite a few veteran UFAs either playing overseas, on 2-ways, or retiring; and some interesting waiver/demotions happening
The best thing going for the Rangers is that the Metropolitan division is the weakest division in hockey. Their conference winner gets into the Eastern Conference final and they get slammed!
Only thing better than seeing the Rangers collapse is watching the Penguins circling the drain.
Lol
Wow Ron that’s nice. Maybe you’ll circle the drain like most of your comments? LOL