Mark Messier provides an honest take on whether or not Artemi Panarin will be with the Rangers next season

A WFAN clip that hit the rounds on Wednesday had Boomer Esiason asking the blunt one, will Panarin still be here next season? Messier's vibe was calm, but the question itself tells you how loud the chatter has gotten.

Panarin turns 34 in October, and he is currently on the final year of the seven-year deal he signed in 2019, worth a cap hit of $11.64 million, and can walk to free agency after 2025-26 if nothing changes.

On the ice, the production is still real. He's got 46 points this season, with 16 goals and 30 assists, and that's on a Rangers team sitting at 20-18-6 right now.

Personally, I can't believe that we're even here again, because when Panarin is cooking, the whole attack looks less stressful.

The messy part is timing. With no extension in place, you can feel the organization leaning into a «see where the season goes» posture, even if nobody wants to say it out loud.

However, here's what Messier had to say:

From a hockey standpoint, Panarin isn't just points, he's zone entries, east-west movement, and a power play that suddenly has a plan. Take him out, and you're asking other wingers to make plays they usually finish, not start.

Messier's name carries weight because Rangers fans still think in «window» terms. If this group can't climb into contender territory, the front office has to decide if they're extending their best creator, or cashing that asset before it expires.

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