The Philadelphia Flyers are looking to get better in the now and in the long-term, so of course the NHL trade deadline is one way to do it. Well, in the latest trade rumors, the team has been connected to one of the most highly sought after rental forward in quite some time.
With the trade deadline quickly approaching, Sportnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported on Friday’s episode of 32 Thoughts: The Podcast that the Flyers could be a potential landing spot for New York Rangers’ own 34-year-old winger Artemi Panarin.
Friedman said that he believes the Flyers could be a possible landing spot for the New York Rangers winger. The move would be an interesting one to discuss, as Panarin is an unrestricted free agent come season’s end and will be looking to sign a new deal with whatever team he’s traded to. The 34-year-old currently has 19 goals and 38 assists in 52 games played. He is a crafty, skilled winger who would no doubt bring a spark of skill to a Flyers team that severely lacks it.
“I put Philly in here, too,” Friedman said while naming contenders to land Panarin before the trade deadline. “I’ll say this. If Kaprizov had gotten to the open market, I think Philly was going to make a big for him. And I could see Philly doing this too. Like, I’ve been watching them a lot lately because they’re in a bit of a tough stretch and Konecny showed a bit of his frustration after they got beat Thursday night.
“And you know, I look at Philly right now and they’re falling back — and between now and the end of the season, if they’re not battling for the playoffs, and I’m sure they’re not waving the white flag yet, but the one thing I think they have to do over the Olympic break is talk about the last six weeks of the season. ‘How are we getting Michkov going? How are we making sure that he finished the season feeling good about himself?’ Because right now that’s not happening. And I think that’s your only priority. Well, and I think that’s your biggest priority outside of a miracle run to get to the postseason. I think that’s your biggest priority — Michkov finishing strong. To me, I wonder can Philly make this deal and if not, are they hoping that somehow Panarin gets to the open market? Seems unlikely but I put Philly in there because they would have gone after Kaprizov and maybe they feel they need Panarin.”
One of the reasons that Friedman provides as to why this move might make sense for general manager Danny Briere as he tries to built a contender, is that Panarin could be someone that gets youngster Matvei Michkov going. The fellow Russian would theoretically provide some level of comfort and the ability to raise Michkov’s production and he currently needs it as he’s experiencing a heavy sophomore slump.
Friedman on Panarin (32T)
— J (@jceezz) January 30, 2026
“One thing they have to do over the Olympic break is talk about how can we get Michkov going the last 6 weeks. The only priority should be Michkov finishing strong… can Philly make this deal? I put Philly in there bc they would’ve gone after Kaprizov”
Additional reports indicate that Panarin would like to stay on the east coast, so that is another strong addition to the reasoning. And there are some familial ties to the organization — his stepfather, Oleg Znarok, works for the Flyers as their European player development and scouting consultant. Even more factors that could make the 34-year-old more willing to sign an extension in Philadelphia.
How this move could make sense for the Flyers
The Flyers this offseason are going to have plenty of cap space to give the 34-year-old an extension if he’s willing. This team has struggled to find high-end talent, and a guy like Panarin would fit that role perfectly. The Rangers winger put up 120 points during the 2023-24 season, and despite the Rangers falling into the bottom of the Eastern Conference, still remains a point per game player.
Another possible way this could benefit the Flyers is by getting young 21-year-old Matvei Michkov, a skilled Russian winger who could help him get his game back on track. Panarin could be a mentor figure to Michkov and help him get back to the player he was last season, when he totaled 63 points in 80 games. Michkov praised Panarin’s stepfather, Znarok, and called him “…a very legendary person, a great one. And you should always listen to him, because he is a person with a lot of experience.” Could the two Russians be a spark of high-end talent that this Flyers team desperately needs?
What would the Flyers be willing to trade?
The Flyers don’t trade with their rivals up in the Big Apple very often – last time was in 2022 when the Flyers sent Justin Braun to New York in exchange for a 2023 3rd round pick, which ended up being Russian goalie Egor Zavragin. All 31 NHL teams around the league will have the upper hand on the Rangers, who admitted that they would not be offering the pending UFA a contract extension.
If the Flyers were to bring in yet another winger, they would have to ship one out in the process. Could they be willing to move on from 26-year-old winger Owen Tippett or 24-year-old Bobby Brink to make room for the 34-year-old winger?
Tippett has struggled with consistency in his 5-year tenure with the Flyers, and with his no-movement clause taking effect on July 1, any major move involving the 26-year-old would need to happen before then. Brink, on the other hand, is a pending RFA this coming offseason, and with the emergence of Denver Barkey, his role in the Flyers’ lineup has begun to diminish. The 24-year-old is currently tied for fourth on the Flyers in goals this season with 13 and has established himself as a solid checking winger that a team like the Rangers could be interested in.
On top of giving up one of their more established wingers to fit the Rangers’ newly stated “retool”, it would be hard to imagine the Flyers would not have to include some sort of draft picks. They could be willing to move on from the 2027 first-round pick that they acquired in the Scott Laughton deal from Toronto.
Ultimately, adding a star like Artemi Panarin would be a game-changing move for the Flyers—but would it make sense for a team trending toward mediocrity? With aging players locked into long-term deals and young talent still needing opportunities, it would certainly be a bold maneuver if GM Danny Briere pulled it off. Friedman’s comments suggest the idea is at least on the team’s radar, though whether it becomes reality remains uncertain. For now, Flyers fans can only watch and wonder if this potential signing signals a shift into win-now mode.
