The ongoing Artemi Panarin trade saga has led to new details emerging as the clock ticks down on the Olympic roster freeze. The 3 pm EST deadline has fueled rampant speculation about a deal getting done beforehand.
However, it seems the trade may not get through before the freeze kicks in. According to a report by RG Media, the Russian superstar has made up his mind about his preferred destination. Panarin wants to go to the Florida Panthers.
There are two key reasons why the Panarin trade saga could go through Florida. First, there’s the obvious reason: The Panthers are defending Stanley Cup champs and offer the 34-year-old the best chance at winning a Cup.
Second, there’s a strong personal connection between Panarin and the Panthers. As James Murphy points out in the RG Media piece, Panarin and current Panthers’ goalie Sergei Bobrovsky share the same agent, Paul Theofanous.
As such, that connection has played a large role in a Panarin trade. Both Panarin and Bobrovsky are close friends. They are so close that they wanted to play together in 2019 when Panarin ultimately signed with the New York Rangers.
But the deal is far from a slam dunk. There is another major factor at play.
Panthers Don’t Have Assets to Make Panarin Trade Work
The biggest sticking point at this moment seems to be the Panthers’ lack of assets. The Cats don’t have a first-round pick until 2028, and don’t have high-end prospects to make the deal work.
As such, the Panarin trade could ultimately center around Eetu Luostarinen and Mackie Samoskevich. Luostarinen has stepped up significantly during Aleksander Barkov’s absence. Meanwhile, he’s a proven playoff performer.
As for Samoskevich, he’s one of the few young players that has graduated through the Panthers’ system. He’s become a mainstay in Florida’s lineup, scoring five goals and 20 points in 53 games. He’s played predominantly in a bottom-six role. But that’s the result of the Panthers’ depth. Perhaps he might flourish in a bigger role in New York.
It seems that the Panthers will need to get extremely creative to get the Panarin trade over the line. Panarin has dug his heels in, but it will take some willingness to complete it.
Lightning Remain in the Mix
One of the latest rumors has involved the Tampa Bay Lightning. The chatter around the league has been that the Bolts have also thrown their hat in the ring.
The Bolts are in a similar situation to the Panthers. But they do have a solid prospect in Sam O’Reilly. That situation could offset the absence of a first-round pick in the next two drafts.
It also remains unclear if Panarin wants to join the Lightning. But as the piece in RG noted, the Lightning “are making a late push” to land Panarin. So, the Panarin trade may come down to whoever can put together the best package ahead of the roster freeze.
Otherwise, this entire saga may end up resolving until after the Olympics. Rosters unfreeze on February 22. So, it could be a long three weeks for everyone in the mix.
Panarin Trade: Star Has Made Up Mind about Destination, Rumor