Rangers working new deal for Artemi Panarin will get more costly as time passes

There’s a free agent contract revolution coming to the NHL next summer, whether Ninth Avenue or general managers across the continent want it or not, with the rapid escalation of the cap from $95.5 million this year to a projected $113.5M for 2027-28.

Connor McDavid might be the vanguard of the movement if he shakes free (alternative meaning) from Edmonton, Kirill Kaprizov is surely a possibility and so is Jack Eichel.

But dear friends, there’s just as good a chance that it could be Artemi Panarin. Rangers fans should be afraid of that.

The Blueshirts are entering Thursday’s first day of training camp with their most productive player in each and every one of the past six seasons an impending unrestricted free agent. That, of course, would be Panarin. That scenario does not happen all that much around these parts.