The Philadelphia Flyers could soon make a shocking move ahead of the trade deadline. Philadelphia is fairly far out of a playoff place after dropping eight of its last 10 games. While a late surge could see the team qualify for the postseason, Flyers officials are likely looking towards the future.
Despite this, NHL insider Elliotte Friedman believes Philadelphia could be in the mix for 34-year-old Artemi Panarin. The New York Rangers are set to trade the star after GM Chris Drury made it known that they will retool after a disastrous 2025-26 season. The Russian is currently in the final months of his seven-year, $81.5 million ($11.6 million AAV) deal.
Speaking on his latest 32 Thoughts podcast, Friedman specifically named 16 different NHL teams that have been linked with Panarin. Several other insiders have also named most of the same clubs involved in the sweepstakes. Nevertheless, the insider’s mentioning of the Flyers is relatively shocking. Philadelphia has not been heavily linked with the Russian winger in recent weeks.
“I can see Philly doing this,” Friedman said of the team’s potential acquisition of Panarin. “Can Philly make this deal? And if not, are they hoping that somehow Panarin gets to the open market? That seems unlikely, but I just put Philly in there because they would have gone after [Kirill] Kaprizov, and maybe they feel that they need Panarin.”
Philadelphia Flyers Have Advantages in Artemi Panarin Chase
GettyArtemi Panarin is likely to be the best NHL player to be traded in the coming weeks.
As Friedman points out, the Flyers would have loved to make a run at Kaprizov. The fellow Russian, however, signed a massive extension with the Minnesota Wild before hitting free agency. It is the largest contract in NHL history. Philadelphia’s interest in Kaprizov clearly shows that they are willing to spend money on a prolific scorer. Panarin certainly fits in this category.
While the Flyers would prefer to land Panarin via free agency, this is an unlikely outcome. Recent reports suggest the star wants to sign an immediate extension with his next team. If this is the case, other teams would back away from a deal. Friedman claims that clubs such as the Colorado Avalanche, Dallas Stars, and Las Vegas Golden Knights are likely looking at the forward as a short-term rental.
Philadelphia may seem like an odd pick to land Panarin, but the club has some key advantages in the situation. For starters, the Russian’s stepfather currently works in the Flyers organization. The aforementioned report also states that the star would likely prefer to remain on the East Coast. Finally, and equally as important, Philadelphia has the money to make a deal. Panarin is looking for a $50 million contract, and the Flyers can afford to appease him.
Philadelphia Could Link Panarin With Current Russian Star
The Flyers, however, will obviously have intense competition in the Panarin sweepstakes. As others have pointed out, the Carolina Hurricanes, Washington Capitals, and Detroit Red Wings are all positioned well in the situation. The trio is also more likely to remain contenders in the near future.
One of Philadelphia’s most pressing concerns at the moment is to get Matvei Michkov going. The budding star is currently enduring a sophomore slump after recording 63 points a year ago. Team officials could hope that bringing in Panarin would both boost the team’s offense and provide Michkov, a fellow Russian, with some positive guidance going forward.
Flyers Named Shock Suitor in Artemi Panarin Sweepstakes