Frank Seravelli suggests that the Panthers may trade Jonathan Huberdeau in a deal with Columbus to pick up Panarin in a sign and trade. Jonthan Huberdeau has a full NMC that begins this July 1st which may be why they are trying to move him now to upgrade the roster. This allows Columbus to get a good player back for the playoffs and Huberdeau also has cost certainty with a relatively good deal for the next 4 years.
https://www.tsn.ca/panthers-huberdea...oard-1.1255876
I'm wary of this. Huberdeau isn't as talented as Panarin, but the gap isn't huge. But Huberdeau gives his all and is a tough competitor who has committed to Florida pretty well despite the lack of team success. Does a Panarin upgrade on offense push the Panthers over the top? Team defense and goaltending have been the biggest issues, and I don't see how Panarin fixes that. And yet, the Panthers could benefit from the addition of pure skill that Panarin brings. I also question Panarin's commitment to the NHL long term. I worry he pulls a Kovalchuk and goes home if he doesn't like the team he's signed to, which is a risk playing for the Panthers.
If you're the Panthers, do you trade Huberdeau in exchange for the chance to sign Panarin to a long term deal?