The Artemi Panarin saga has been nothing short of an authentic soap opera. The twists and turns in the plot have kept fans’ heads turning like a championship tennis match.
One of those twists and turns has led the story down an unlikely path. The chatter positing the Philadelphia Flyers as potential candidates for Artemi Panarin has got to be nothing short of breathtaking.
As my colleague Scott Rogust wrote on Friday, the Flyers could be poised to take a swing at Panarin, either on the trade market or as a free agent. While there’s little room to doubt the Flyers would love to bring Panarin into the fold, the question would be if Panarin would be willing to head over to Philly.
The prevailing chatter suggests that Panarin has his sights set on other locales. As Elliotte Friedman noted in his latest 32 Thoughts Podcast, Panarin would love to go to Florida, specifically, the Panthers.
That may be a pipedream, however. Other rumored destinations on Panarin’s checklist could be Colorado and Dallas. Be that as it may, what if those locations just didn’t work out? What if a combination of market dynamics, Panarin’s extension demands, and looming negotiations stalled Panarin’s move?
What if the only real team willing to take a swing at Panarin was Philadelphia? Could the Flyers then become a last-ditch pivot for the Rangers and the Russian superstar?
It’s worth noting that Panarin reportedly wants a $50 million contract, regardless of how many years a team would like to break that into. The Flyers could technically pull that off. They could put together enough pieces to land Panarin.
Panarin, meanwhile, might have no other plausible choice but Philly. It’s quite the twisting path that could lead Panarin to Philadelphia, but one that fans should not discount offhand.
Flyers might be better off targeting a center
While Panarin would certainly add some much-needed firepower to the lineup, the fact is that the Flyers might be better off targeting a center.
That assertion depends on two things. Firstly, if you assume that Christian Dvorak is the Flyers’ number-one center, then targeting a high-end pivot would be moot. As such, going for broke on Panarin would make sense.
The Flyers could still target a center, but it wouldn’t be one of the upper-tier variety. Perhaps someone in the middle-six range might suffice, depending on price and cap hit.
Second, if you assume that Dvorak is not a number-one center, then the Flyers would be better off saving their powder for a potential top-line center. On the surface, that move would make sense. However, if there are no true number-one centers available on the market, wouldn’t the next-best thing be someone like Panarin?
With pretty much every team in the NHL looking for a top-tier center, most clubs will have to settle for the best option available. That's why, if the Flyers could really swing for the fences with Panarin, it would behoove Daniel Briere to at least kick the tires and see where things go.