Artemi Panarin Trade Buzz Grows — But Oilers Not in the Mix

The New York Rangers’ retool has put Artemi Panarin front and center ahead of the trade deadline as the by far top player available on the market. Just about every playoff-contending team — and even some others — would have interest in the superstar winger, as players of his caliber rarely become available.

That said, the ball is firmly in Panarin’s court due to his full no-movement clause, so he’ll only be going somewhere he’s willing to sign off on.

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With that in mind, Rangers reporters Peter Baugh and Vince Z. Mercogliano recently compiled a list of 10 teams they believe Panarin might be willing to accept a trade to, and the Edmonton Oilers were notably not among them. Colorado, Washington, Florida, Dallas, Carolina, Tampa Bay, Minnesota, Detroit, Vegas, and the New York Islanders made the cut.

Some had wondered whether the Oilers could emerge as a landing spot for the two-time All-Star, particularly given his history with GM Stan Bowman, who brought him to the NHL with the Chicago Blackhawks back in 2015. While this report doesn’t completely rule Edmonton out, it does suggest convincing Panarin to head north — especially over several warmer-climate U.S. markets — could be a tough sell.

The 34-year-old is producing another elite-level season, having tallied 54 points (18 goals, 36 assists) in 48 games. He’s, of course, a pending UFA in the seventh and final season of the seven-year, $81,499,999 contract he signed to join the Rangers in free agency of 2019.

Do the Edmonton Oilers Even Need Artemi Panarin?

As fun as it would be to see Panarin team up with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl in Edmonton, the Oilers have more pressing needs to address ahead of the deadline if they hope to win the Stanley Cup.

High-end offensive talent certainly isn’t one of them — particularly on the power play, where Panarin is most effective. Edmonton’s man advantage that has dominated the league for years now is once again the best in hockey, and by a wide margin, currently clipping at 33.1%

A top-six winger to flank Draisaitl on the second line would certainly help, but the continued improvement of Vasily Podkolzin has given the Oilers the flexibility to prioritize other areas—most notably a third-line center and/or another defenseman.

Between the significant assets it would take to acquire Panarin and the major salary-cap gymnastics required to fit his $11,642,857 cap hit, a deal bringing him to Edmonton was never likely. Add in the fact that reporters closely connected to the Rangers don’t view the Oilers as a preferred destination, and this scenario can likely be crossed off the list.

That’s probably for the best anyway, as avoiding a splashy but unnecessary move may ultimately serve their Stanley Cup hopes better when all is said and done.

Next: Could New York Rangers Retool Provide Oilers the Perfect Center Target?