Could Artemi Panarin Be A Fit For The Habs?

The New York Rangers made it clear on Friday afternoon that they will not be offering a new contract to pending UFA and superstar forward Artemi Panarin. Rangers GM Chris Drury also wrote a letter to their fans saying that the team will be going through a rebuild and will be looking to trade veterans for picks and prospects. With that being said, Panarin is expected to be traded before the trade deadline. On Friday night, Tony Marinaro, along with Stu Cowan and Brian Wilde, discussed on The Sick Podcast whether there would be a fit for Artemi Panarin with the Montreal Canadiens.

The Rangers have put out a letter announcing a retool, not a rebuild 👀

(via @NYRangers) pic.twitter.com/H7zp2Dogvx

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) January 16, 2026

At 34 years old, Panarin is in the final year of a 7-year contract with the Rangers that has paid him $11.64 million a season. Panarin has 18 goals and 54 points in 48 games so far, which would be the most points on the Habs. With the fact that the Canadiens could use a true first-line winger alongside Cole Caufield and Nick Suzuki, there is a valid reason why the Habs should take a look to see how much he would cost to acquire.

With Artemi Panarin now available for trade, would the 34-year old winger be a good fit on the #GoHabsGo?@BWildeMTL: “I think they can do better than Artemi Panarin”#thesickpodcast @TonyMarinaro @StuCowan1 pic.twitter.com/3EAyBnFrUj

— The Sick Podcast with Tony Marinaro (@thesickpodcasts) January 17, 2026

Of course, in order to make the deal work financially, the Canadiens would certainly need the Rangers to take a contract back to not go over the cap. The perfect player that could fit in a deal to make the money work would have to be Patrik Laine and his $8.7 million contract. The Habs would likely need to attach a 1st-rounder and a good prospect that is close to NHL-ready, such as Adam Engstrom or Owen Beck, to obtain Panarin’s services.

However, is a price like that worth paying for a rental like Panarin when you are a young playoff contender? According to Wilde, a high price to pay for Panarin wouldn’t be worth it, as he feels that the type of teammate that Panarin is wouldn’t work well with the culture that the Canadiens management is trying to introduce. The fact is Panarin has had a few off-ice controversies while playing with the Rangers that have caused distractions within the team. With that being said, a player who can cause distractions within a team is not someone that the Habs will likely want within the organization.

Suzuki would be your toughest mentally and durability wise for playoffs.

Panarin adds skill but not what you need to win a cup.

Panarin needs to be on a Caps and they’ll win a cup.

Habs need a Cuylle type. Better obviously. Brady Tkachuk which is probably not possible.

— Chris Alexander (@CPATHELEGEND9) January 17, 2026

Wilde also believes that if the Habs don’t want to keep Texier as a first-line winger and don’t think Kirby Dach could do the job either, there will likely be better options on the trade market that could fit as a potential first-line winger.

Meanwhile, Cowan sees it similarly to how I see it, where the Habs should at least look into getting someone of Panarin’s talent for a playoff run, but that the Habs shouldn’t overpay for his services at a high price, where they mortgage the future. Panarin would only be around for 30 games or so, and paying a lot when the Habs aren’t Stanley Cup contenders yet wouldn’t be the right move.

I wonder if there is any way for the Habs to get Panarin out of NY, even if he’s only a rental for the rest of the season and a decent shot at potential playoff run.

— Shaun McHabs fan (@S_McHabs) January 13, 2026

Cowan also mentioned that if Kent Hughes were to get Panarin, it would likely be at a lower price than market value, as he is in no rush to make the team better for now via trade. This is why Hughes and Gorton always seem to get the best value out of trades as they very rarely force anything to happen. With that being said, don’t be surprised to hear Habs in talks for Panarin, even if at the end it is likely he won’t be coming to Montreal.

Do you think Panarin can be a fit with the Canadiens?