Philadelphia Flyers Trade Garnet Hathaway to Panthers for Draft Picks – The Hockey Writers – NHL News

The Philadelphia Flyers were set to have a long wait between picks at the 2026 NHL Draft this weekend. With their third, fourth, and fifth-round picks belonging to other teams, 128 selections were set to take place between the Flyers’ first pick in the second round (53rd overall) and their second in the sixth round (181st overall).

Now, that gap is a bit smaller. The Flyers moved up from pick 181 to 153 and acquired a fourth-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft from the Florida Panthers for winger Garnet Hathaway. Here’s what the deal means for both teams.

Flyers Gain Some Flexibility

The Flyers still have a logjam of wingers heading into next season. They have seven players who can make credible claims for the top-nine spots, and the leftover piece from that list, plus Hathaway, were among the favorites to round out the lineup, especially if Nikita Grebekin‘s injury causes him to miss time.

Now, there’s another forward spot available on the roster. That could mean a prospect, like Jett Luchanko, could make the team, although it’s more likely a lower-ceiling option like Karsen Dorwart would be used in a fourth-line role.

It also makes it more likely the Flyers re-sign depth forward Luke Glendening, who played both center and on the wing after being claimed off waivers from the New Jersey Devils. Glendening’s ability to play down the middle is his biggest advantage over Hathaway, although they are similar defense-first, veteran forwards.

The trade also opens up $1.2 million of salary cap space, although the Flyers have slightly hampered their financial flexibility with this move. They would’ve saved about as much cap space by sending Hathaway to the American Hockey League (AHL), though there’s no guarantee he would have cleared waivers, and they would not have added to their draft capital. Philadelphia has all three of its retention slots used, although that will drop to one on July 1.

Panthers Add Physicality

One thing you can count on with Hathaway is that he will throw the body. His 22.02 hits per 60 in the regular season ranked in the NHL (min. 40 games played) this season. He did the same in the playoffs, too. Hathaway played his best hockey of the season in Round 1 against the Pittsburgh Penguins, forming a very effective fourth line with Glendening and Sean Couturier and burying Owen Tippett’s dazzling set-up for a key shorthanded goal in Game 2.

However, that goal was Hathaway’s second of the entire season. The 34-year-old went from a respectable 10 goals and 21 points in 2024-25 to an offensive black hole, held without a point until Jan. 10 despite being a regular in the lineup. He finished with just three points and looked so ineffective for most of the season that a buyout was a legitimate possibility.

With just one year remaining on his contract, there’s not a ton of risk for the Panthers, especially since they can now send Hathaway to the AHL without worrying about the impact on their cap. Florida is set to lose a handful of depth forwards like A.J. Greer, Tomas Nosek, Luke Kunin and Noah Gregor to free agency this summer. Trading for Hathaway lessens their need to wade into what figures to be a pricey market.

NHL Draft and Free Agency Await

The Flyers still have a long wait between their second and third picks, so they might try to trade up again or expedite the timeline of the 2027 fourth-rounder. Hathaway was a beloved player in the team’s locker room, so they may feel an impact there (though re-signing Glendening would ease the loss of experience).

Florida’s work still isn’t done, although they have a strong group of 12 forwards under club control. Maybe they’ll subtract from that a little bit to clear cap space and/or acquire assets to fill their goaltending hole. Both teams could find their way back into blockbuster territory down the line, but this qualifies as a smart under-the-radar deal.