Danny Briere made another offseason trade Thursday.
The Flyers moved veteran forward Garnet Hathaway and a 2026 sixth-round pick to the Panthers for a 2026 fifth-rounder and 2027 fourth-rounder.
Nine days ago, Briere addressed the Flyers’ backup goaltending position in a deal with the Maple Leafs.
The Flyers have four picks in this weekend’s draft. They have one in the first round, one in the second, one in the fifth and one in the seventh.
The Flyers retained half of Hathaway’s remaining salary. He was entering the final year of a two-year deal, which had a cap hit of $2.4 million this upcoming season. So the Flyers will pay $1.2 million of that.
The trade creates a lineup spot for potentially a younger piece. The Flyers had three young wingers open some eyes during the 2025-26 playoff push. Porter Martone feels like a slam dunk for a full-time role, while Alex Bump and Denver Barkey are pushing to be regulars, as well.
The Flyers also have Nikita Grebenkin and Jett Luchanko in the picture. Briere will also have the chance to add with perhaps another trade or in free agency, which opens next Wednesday.
It’s possible the Flyers could bring back Luke Glendening, who’s an unrestricted free agent. The 37-year-old can offer a similar fourth-line role that Hathaway played.
Hathaway had a tough time being effective with his hard-nosed brand this past season. A player that would typically chip in with some offense, the 34-year-old had just one goal and two assists in 66 games.
But he showed his style of play is still built for the playoffs. He made a strong impact in eight games as the Flyers returned to the postseason for the first time since 2020.
“We talk about it a lot as a group — how can you bring it each shift to help this team,” Hathaway said during the Flyers’ first-round series victory over the Penguins. “I love it. If you’re not jacked up out there, you’ve got to check your pulse or something.”
Hathaway played three seasons for the Flyers. The Panthers, a Stanley Cup contender, will be his fifth team.