By the time Artemi Panarin was scratched from Wednesday’s game, everyone in the hockey world was crafting theoretical trades, finding ways to land the New York Rangers star on their teams. With all the rumors and Panarin’s quiet personality, it’s anyone’s guess where he goes, and it seems like half the league has an offer in place. As an aside, one of the best lines this time of year is “This team has expressed interest in this star player.” It’s Panarin, of course, teams have expressed interest.
Related: Rangers: Panarin Sits to Await a Trade
Here’s the catch: only a few teams are in a position to afford Panarin and his contract. Plus, there are fewer teams that can maintain the 33-year-old winger with a subsequent extension. So, while it would be fun to see a rebuilding team on the rise acquire him like the Chicago Blackhawks, Philadelphia Flyers, or San Jose Sharks, it doesn’t make sense.
What does make sense is a team that has a three-year window and is in win-now mode? With all this in mind, let’s look at the 5 teams to watch (assuming he isn’t traded by the time this article is published).
Carolina Hurricanes
The Carolina Hurricanes don’t need another winger, and ideally, they add a top-six center. It’s also worth adding that Panarin doesn’t change the complexion of this team, which is good but can’t over the hump. That said, the Hurricanes have the cap space and a few prospects to make it work, and Panarin fits right into their system.
Say the Hurricanes trade Bradley Nadeau, a top prospect who hasn’t found a role on the NHL team, and they throw in a young player like Jackson Blake (or if they find a way to move Jesperi Kotkaniemi). That might be enough for the Rangers. For the Hurricanes, this makes a good team better, and with the Nikolaj Ehlers addition in the offseason, they have the best team in place to go on a run.
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings make the most sense to make this trade. They have the cap space, the urge to make a splash, a good enough team to make the playoffs, and enough pressure under general manager (GM) Steve Yzerman to get this team over the hump.
The fit is interesting since the ideal trade is to acquire a second-line center, someone who takes the pressure off of Dylan Larkin. That said, the Red Wings wouldn’t stop to make this move work, adding a winger who can provide scoring chances for Alex DeBrincat and his ol’ buddy Patrick Kane.
This move also sends the message to the team and the fans that the Red Wings won’t be satisfied with only making the playoffs. They are on track to do so but how would they stack up against the Tampa Bay Lightning or another elite team in the Eastern Conference? Adding Panarin says to the team that they want to win the Stanley Cup and will suddenly have the group in place to do so.
Los Angeles Kings
Adding Panarin is a last-ditch effort to keep a closing contending window open. The team is aging and on the decline, and Panarin at 33 is in the same boat. That said, if there was ever a time to make this move, now is that time.
It’s worth adding that if the Kings acquired Panarin, he would help them match up with the Edmonton Oilers or whoever they face in the playoffs. The Kings have struggled to match the firepower of their divisional rivals in each of the past four playoff meetings, and the offense has struggled throughout this season. So, he makes that impact.
Utah Mammoth
The Utah Mammoth somehow weren’t on Elliotte Friedman’s Saturday Headlines list, specifically when it comes to an extension. It’s a surprise considering where they are in the standings and as a franchise. So, expect them to remain a quiet team during all the trade talks but possibly swoop in and make a move.
They are one of the teams eager to make a big move, especially with their owner, Ryan Smith, hoping to see them contend soon enough. The Mammoth have slowly built up a good team but are missing the star who makes them great. A Panarin trade is the type of move they make for the short term, as he gets them into the playoffs, and the long run, as he stays around as they become perennial contenders.
Panarin on the wing is what they need. He adds that playmaking ability to take this offense to the next level and would be particularly fun to see alongside Logan Cooley for a few seasons. The Mammoth also have the prospects to flip to make this deal work, so keep an eye out for them if Panarin sees Salt Lake City as a destination.
Washington Capitals
The Washington Capitals would need to move some pieces around to make the cap work. It’s also bad timing to make a trade since they’ve struggled lately, and Logan Thompson, their goaltender, who is playing at a Vezina Trophy caliber level, is out until after the Olympics.
Otherwise, the Capitals make a lot of sense. This is a win-now team with the clock ticking on Alexander Ovechkin’s career. The Capitals are built for the playoffs but need an extra spark on offense. Panarin is a great fit on the same line as Dylan Strome or Ovechkin and gives them an offense that can go up against anyone.
The Capitals also have prospects on top of prospects, with a few young NHL-caliber players stuck with the Hershey Bears just waiting for their chance. The Capitals can give the Rangers what they want from a prospect standpoint to make this trade work.
What About The Oilers & Wild?
Panarin fits in for these teams because both are in win-now mode and will go all-in for at least the next two seasons. The Minnesota Wild only have Quinn Hughes for another two seasons, barring an extension, and the Edmonton Oilers only have Connor McDavid on a short-term deal. When elite players are heading to free agency in the near future, there’s no rebuild or retool; it’s a push to win the Cup.
There’s a good argument for both teams to add Panarin, and the plus is that he fits in with both forward groups. Their problems are the cap space and the prospects needed to make it work. They don’t have much of either, and the Rangers wouldn’t move him there unless he forces their hand.
So, as fun as it might be to see Panarin and Kirill Kaprizov playing on the same line or McDavind centering a line with him and Zach Hyman on it, it’s not something to count on.
