Leafs have chance to make giant splash by trading for Rangers superstar

The Toronto Maple Leafs are heading into the NHL trade deadline with no certain plan, but now they could truly go and get the biggest fish possible.

A bombshell in the NHL dropped today, as the New York Rangers will not be extending their superstar forward Artemi Panarin past this season. General manager Chris Drury is willing to work with Panarin and his agent, Paul Theofanous, to find a destination that Panarin would be interested in moving to.

The Rangers have had a rough past two seasons, following their appearance in the Eastern Conference Finals during the 2023-24 season, where they lost to the eventual Stanley Cup Champions, the Florida Panthers. With Brad Treliving looking to add to his team and make them better, acquiring a player of the likes of Panarin could go a long way for the Maple Leafs postseason success.

Panarin and the Rangers downfall

The Rangers fell off a cliff during the 2024-25 season and into this season, with nobody having any answers for this drop off. The Rangers' downfall could be attributed to Panarin's downseason, where he produced 89 points. While this is still a strong season, it was a noticeable drop from his previous season of 120 points. This season, Panarin has hovered around a point per game tallying 51 points in his first 47 games. Panarin has spent the previous seven seasons with the Rangers. The Rangers currently sit in last place of the Eastern Conference, 10 points behind the Bruins for the final Wild Card spot.

Maple Leafs need to make a move quickly

The Maple Leafs will need to be ready to make a move soon. Adding Artemi Panarin could add some much-needed firepower to the top six. The Leafs, after losing Mitch Marner in the offseason, opted to add more depth rather than a superstar. While this has worked well at times, when the Maple Leafs have lacked goals from their stars, the team simply did not win games. If Panarin could find chemistry with Auston Matthews, we could see the beginning of one of the most dynamic duos in hockey. The combination of an elite shot, playmaking, and speed would make the Leafs' top line very hard to defend. Panarin would also add another layer to a stacked Maple Leafs power-play. Since the Leafs fired David Savard, their power-play has ranked towards the top of the NHL, and if Panarin joins, they could very well become the best unit.

Assets the Leafs will have to send the Rangers way

While adding Panarin to the Maple Leafs would be a no-brainer, the cost of Panarin would be high, and the Maple Leafs would need to match other teams' offers. The Rangers will likely be interested in adding their top two prospects, Ben Danford and Easton Cowan. They would need to be a part of the deal for the Rangers to even consider speaking with Brad Treliving. The Maple Leafs could also look to move their number one defenceman, Morgan Rielly. Rielly has had a rough last few seasons with the Leafs, and simply doesn't look like the player he once was. A change of scenery could be what he needs. If the Maple Leafs are not able to move Rielly, the Leafs will need to add their first-round pick in 2028, as well as some depth roster moves, to clear the money to acquire Panarin.

If Brad Treliving is serious about improving the Maple Leafs and making a splash, Artemi Panarin could be the name the Maple Leafs add. If not the Maple Leafs, it will be interesting to see where the Rangers deal their Russian superstar.