The Philadelphia Flyers were one of the biggest surprises in the NHL due to their strong start to the season. Yet, the team has fallen back down to reality a bit as of late, going 2-7-1 in their last 10 games entering Friday, Jan. 30. They are tied for sixth-place in the Eastern Conference with a 24-20-9 record for 57 points, but eight points back of the New York Islanders for third place in the Metropolitan Division.
There are still over 20 games left in the season, so there is time for the Flyers to get back on track. Perhaps a trade could help with their playoff chances.
Sportsnet NHL insider Elliotte Friedman discussed the trade market for New York Rangers winger Artemi Panarin on the latest edition of the 32 Thoughts Podcast. Friedman brought up the Flyers as a potential team, while stressing that it's unlikely a deal could materialize for Panarin. But Friedman reveals that their interest in Kirill Kaprizov could cause them to make a run at Panarin.
"I put Philly in here too because I'll say this, if Kaprizov had gotten to the open market, I think Philly was going to make a bid for him. And I could see Philly doing this too..." He continued, "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 just put Philly in there because they would have gone after Kaprizov and maybe they feel they need Panarin."
If the Flyers were to bring in Panarin, it would certainly help their odds for this season. Perhaps most importantly, he could help out with Matvei Michkov's breakout.
Artemi Panarin could provide much-needed help for Matvei Michkov
The Flyers have been banking on Michkov to break out, especially after a promising 63 point rookie season. But this year has seen a noticeable drop off, production wise. Through 52 games this year, Michkov has just 13 goals and 15 assists to his credit.
Friedman touched on the Michkov situation when discussing Panarin, saying that his development should be the team's biggest priority for the rest of the season.
"But the one thing I think they have to do over the Olympic break is talk about for the last six weeks of the season — how are we getting Michkov going? How are we making sure that he finishes 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," said Friedman.
If the Flyers were to bring in Panarin, that not only improves their odds of contending for the playoffs and makes them a more dominant scoring team. Sure, the Flyers could line Panarin up alongside Trevor Zegras. But imagine if they pair Panarin with Michkov. It could be possible that Michkov sees a resurgence. The Flyers would certainly enjoy that.
Since joining the Rangers in 2019, Panarin has put up over 89 points in four of six seasons. This year, there is a dip, as Panarin has 57 points to his credit (19 goals, 38 assists). That can be associated, as a whole, to the Rangers struggling throughout the year.
While the Flyers landing Panarin would be considered a dream, it's still unlikely to happen. Even though Panarin does carry a no-move clause, he wants to sign a contract extension with his new team. Friedman reports in that same podcast that Panarin is seeking a $50 million contract extension after getting traded, and that there are only a handful of teams who would do that, and the Flyers aren't among them. While Friedman says the Flyers could pursue Panarin if he were to hit the open market, based on his contract extension demand, it seems unlikely.
Michkov needs some help to get back to his rookie form. Bringing in a top scorer could help with that. But it doesn't seem like Panarin is an attainable option.