Panthers land Hathaway
Florida Panthers acquire veteran Garnet Hathaway from Flyers in pre-draft deal, retaining 50% salary
Key Points
The Flyers now own four total picks in the upcoming drafts after this deal, boosting their future draft-capital and flexibility as they rebuild under GM Danny Brière.
Florida's cap hit for Hathaway is reduced to 1.2 million for the upcoming season after the Flyers retained 50% of his contract.
Hathaway has ranked in the NHL's top-10 in hits every season since 2020-21 and has accumulated 1,532 hits since 2020-21, the second-most in the league over that span.
In last season's playoffs with Philadelphia, Hathaway produced two points (1-1-2) across eight games and totaled 14 penalty minutes.
Hathaway was undrafted and played four NCAA seasons at Brown University before turning pro, a background noted in Panthers coverage of the acquisition.
The Florida Panthers added a bruising veteran to their forward group on June 25, acquiring winger Garnet Hathaway from the Philadelphia Flyers. Florida sent a 2026 fifth-round pick and a 2027 fourth-round pick to Philadelphia in exchange for Hathaway and a 2026 sixth-round pick, with the Flyers retaining 50% of his $2.4 million salary, according to Sportsnet.
The deal drops Hathaway's cap hit to just $1.2 million for Florida, per NHL.com. Panthers GM Bill Zito called Hathaway "a physical and highly competitive player who will complement our group well."
Hathaway's Hitting Machine Numbers Speak for Themselves
Hathaway, 34, led the Flyers with 252 hits last season, ranking 9th in the entire NHL, according to Sportsnet. Since the 2020-21 season, he has racked up 1,532 hits — the second-most in the league over that span. He has finished in the NHL's top 10 in hits every year since 2020-21.
His offensive output is modest. He posted just 3 points in 66 regular-season games last year. But in Philadelphia's playoff run, he added 2 points and 14 penalty minutes across 8 games, per StatMuse. Florida values his physical edge over his scoring.
Panthers Double Down on Physicality After Playoff Miss
Florida missed the playoffs in 2025-26, hurt badly by injuries to captain Aleksander Barkov. In response, GM Zito went all-in on toughness. Just days before this deal, Florida traded for Brady Tkachuk from Ottawa, giving up two 2026 first-round picks and more, according to NHL.com.
Hathaway fills the roster spot left by pending free agent A.J. Greer, who is set to hit the open market on July 1, per TSN. The Panthers now have roughly $5.87 million in cap space left, with a starting goaltender still needed after both Sergei Bobrovsky and Daniil Tarasov became free agents.
Flyers Turn an Aging Depth Forward Into Draft Capital
For Philadelphia, the move fits GM Danny Brière's rebuild plan. The Flyers now hold four picks in the 2026 draft after adding Florida's 2026 fifth-rounder, per PhillyVoice. Philadelphia also keeps a 2027 fourth-round pick coming its way.
Philadelphia media largely praised the deal. Crossing Broad called it a near-"fleece" by Brière — getting two future picks for a 34-year-old who scored 3 points last season. The Flyers do carry $1.2 million in dead cap from the retained salary, but clear a roster spot for younger players like Bobby Brink or Tyson Foerster, according to The Hockey News.
Undrafted Brown University Grad Returns to His Florida Roots
Hathaway was never drafted. He played four seasons at Brown University before turning pro — an unusual path to a long NHL career, as noted by Florida Hockey Now. He has now played 672 regular-season NHL games across four teams: the Flames, Capitals, Bruins, and Flyers.
The move is also a homecoming. Hathaway was born in Naples, Florida — the same city where he will now play, per Sportsnet. National outlets have leaned into the sentimental angle, though some fans question whether a 34-year-old fourth-liner can hold up deep into a playoff run.
Sentiment
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Articles
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Reach
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