Media Bytes: Schneider on the Block, Ping Ponging Panarin, More Knives for Miller
From Friedman floating Schneider’s name to Panarin’s extension demands, this week’s Media Bytes breaks down where the retool may head next.
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Is Schneider Next?
1. In a hit on NHL Network Tuesday night, Elliotte Friedman was asked what the Rangers' next move might be, and his answer was a bit unexpected.
"I know everybody is really excited about Panarin. I kind of wonder if it might end up being something like Braden Schneider, to be honest," Friedman said. "The Rangers just had their scouting meeting, and the feeling around the league coming out of that is that Chris Drury has reiterated, if you have an idea, call [him]."
Friedman added that Schneider is someone he's keeping an eye on, particularly with the defenseman in the final year of his current contract. "For a defenseman who's a bit heavier, there's always interest in that kind of player," he said. "And I think there is some interest in him. The Rangers may have a decision to make there."
All Eyes on Panarin
2. Vince Mercogliano offered a more granular update on Artemi Panarin in his latest for The Athletic, outlining two notable developments. First, Panarin would prefer to remain on the East Coast, if possible. Second, the Rangers are allowing Panarin's camp to speak directly with interested teams ahead of any potential trade.
"If all things were equal, I sense that Panarin would prefer to stay on the East Coast," Mercogliano wrote. "His family is comfortable here, his father-in-law works as a scouting consultant for the Philadelphia Flyers, and it's a much easier trip to Russia from this time zone."
If that preference holds, Mercogliano points to Florida and Washington as the most logical fits. Multiple sources told him the two-time champion Panthers would be Panarin's top choice, in large part due to his close friendship with Sergei Bobrovsky. That said, it's hard to see a clean path there given Florida's ongoing cap crunch and a thinner asset cupboard after years of aggressive, win-now moves.
Washington, meanwhile, "stands out as a logical alternative." The Capitals have ample cap space and a deeper pool of trade assets, including a 2026 first-round pick that Florida and other contenders can't match. Mercogliano also notes that Caps GM Chris Patrick has publicly identified a "higher-end, skilled winger" as the club's biggest need—a description that fits Panarin cleanly.
