Artemi Panarin will not be in the New York Rangers' lineup when they play the New York Islanders at UBS Arena on Wednesday for roster management purposes.
The forward is not expected to play in the Rangers' final three games leading up to the roster freeze for the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 that begins on Feb. 4.
The Rangers also play the Carolina Hurricanes on Feb. 5, their last game before the Olympic break.
Panarin is in the last year of a seven-year, $81.5 million contract that includes a full no-movement clause. He can become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.
Rangers general manager Chris Drury told Panarin earlier this month that the team is not planning to offer him a new contract but will work with him to find a new team to play for before the 2026 NHL Trade Deadline on March 6.
Keeping Panarin out of the lineup for roster management purposes now means the Rangers are either close to moving him or protecting him from injury because of the intent to trade him.
"The team decided to go in a different direction," Panarin said following a 6-3 win against the Philadelphia Flyers on Jan. 17. "I'm OK with that."
The decision to scratch Panarin comes less than two weeks since Drury announced in a public letter to the Rangers' fan base that the team was going to begin retooling its roster.
The Rangers (22-25-6), who are 3-9-2 in their past 14 games, are last in the Eastern Conference with 50 points.
Panarin leads New York with 57 points (19 goals, 38 assists) in 52 games. He has been the Rangers' leading scorer every season since joining the team in 2019-20.
Panarin has 607 points (205 goals, 402 assists) in 482 games with the Rangers since 2019-20. In franchise history, he is 14th in goals, eighth in assists, ninth in points, and first in points per game (1.26).
His 607 points are sixth in the NHL since he joined the Rangers behind Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers (802), Leon Draisaitl of the Oilers (718), Nathan MacKinnon of the Colorado Avalanche (701), David Pastrnak of the Boston Bruins (618) and Nikita Kucherov of the Tampa Bay Lightning (612).
"With our position in the standings and injuries to key players this season, we must be honest and realistic about our situation," Drury wrote on Jan. 16. "We are not going to stand pat. A shift will give us the ability to be smart and opportunistic as we retool the team. This will not be a rebuild. This will be a retool built around our core players and prospects."
The Rangers traded defenseman Carson Soucy to the Islanders on Monday.
Soucy is in the final season of a three-year, $9.75 million contract ($3.25 million average annual value) he signed with the Vancouver Canucks on July 1, 2023, and can become an unrestricted free agent after this season.
He is expected to play for the Islanders against the Rangers on Wednesday.
