Could Oilers and Bowman Swing Big on Panarin at the Trade Deadline?

It would take an incredible amount of cap maneuvering and a hefty return going back to the New York Rangers, but the Edmonton Oilers might want to give Chris Drury a call. After Drury released a statement on behalf of the Rangers organization, confirming that top players will be traded as the team retools, Artemi Panarin‘s name shot to the top of many trade bait boards.

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According to Elliotte Friedman, Drury met with Panarin himself, and part of that discussion was to talk about how they won’t be offering an extension, and they are prepared to work with him and his agent, Paul Theofanous, to facilitate a trade to a destination of his choosing. The first question would be, is Edmonton a team he would consider?

Related: Rangers Won’t Sign Artemi Panarin to Extension, Trade Being Discussed

There are several reasons to think about it. First, there’s Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. He would be a winger on one of those two lines, giving himself arguably the best chance to produce offense at a rate that would boost his stock as he enters free agency on July 1. For Panarin, that’s huge.

For the Oilers, they’d have one of two solid options: either move Ryan Nugent-Hopkins to the third-line center role and have Panarin replace him on McDavid’s left wing, or move Vasily Podkolzin down to the third line and put Panarin with Leon Draisaitl and Kasperi Kapanen. Both sound like reasonable moves for the Oilers, but the first option also adds a big asset to the team’s third line in Nugent-Hopkins. Edmonton has been looking for a solution there for some time.

Bowman has a history with Panarin from their time in Chicago. The GM has also taken some big swings in the past — recently trying to land Mikko Rantanen before he was moved to the Carolina Hurricanes and then the Dallas Stars.

How Would the Oilers Afford This?

The Rangers are looking for young core pieces, prospects, and draft picks to kickstart their retool. Admittedly, the Oilers don’t have a lot to offer, but they do have a few pieces that could work in a rental situation.

The team’s first-round pick in 2027 is available to be traded. Prospects include Ike Howard, Beau Akey, Alec Regula, Quinn Hutson, Josh Samanski, among others. Edmonton would need to send money back in the deal, possibly in the form of Andrew Mangiapane, Mattias Janmark, or Ty Emberson. The Rangers would also have to eat 50% of Panarin’s contract, with another team potentially getting involved to retain another portion of the deal. At over $11 million, Panarin without massive retention is a non-starter.

Next: Cujo and the Trade That Helped Save the Edmonton Oilers