The Columbus Blue Jackets are busy trying to overcome the Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals to become the top dog in the Metropolitan Division, and the recent decision of Artemi Panarin to avoid extension negotiations has put them in a tough spot. While Panarin doesn’t want to sign a long-term deal with the Blue Jackets at the moment, the team has to make a decision about whether he’s more useful to them as a trade asset or a potential expiring contract next summer. The superstar forward could fetch quite a price on the trade market, but is also an integral piece of the Blue Jackets’ attack. We may get a little more clarity soon enough though, as Aaron Portzline of The Athletic (subscription required) now reports that Panarin has set a date of September 13th a deadline for any “business matters.”
That’s the first day of training camp for the Blue Jackets, making a deadline like this not all that unreasonable for a player to demand. Many before Panarin have told their respective teams that they don’t want to negotiate during the season, this time is only different because he also doesn’t seem to want to negotiate right now. Panarin is less than a year away from becoming an unrestricted free agent, and may not want to give that chance up.
A deadline of this sort definitely affects the trade market though, as any team who would want to extend Panarin would seemingly have to both acquire and negotiate in less than two months. While that’s certainly possible, every day that goes by makes it tougher for Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen to get full value back for his offensive dynamo. Whether he even wants to move him is still unclear, but the biggest return would surely come if Panarin was willing to work out an extension prior to the deal.
The trade market in the NHL seems quiet right now, with things having calmed down on both Max Pacioretty and Erik Karlsson in the last week, but Panarin’s future could change that in a moment. If he is ever truly put on the block there will be 30 teams calling Kekalainen to find out what it would take to get him, especially given his reasonable $6MM cap hit this season. $2MM of that has already been paid out as a signing bonus, making him one of the biggest bargains in the league in terms of offensive production. If he’s made available this summer, even teams that are on the playoff bubble would be after him knowing they could flip Panarin at the deadline if necessary. The 26-year old forward holds no trade protection in his current deal.
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I like the idea of Panarin for Jeff Skinner and a pick with the Canes (because Panarin wouldn’t sign there either) flipping him to another team (SJ, NYI, NYR or NJ) for a nice package of picks and prospects.
I’m not sure what the Jackets would get for Panarin because of his expiring contract. If Panarin would be willing to sign an extension with a team, the return would be higher for Columbus.
Something is better than nothing. Just ask the Islanders.