Panarin demeans Columbus as agent reveals where he’d prefer to sign

All signs seem to be pointing to Russian superstar Artemi Panarin leaving the Columbus Blue Jackets for free agency in search of a huge payday in the 2019 offseason and GM Jarmo Kekalainen is left wondering if he should ship out his best player ahead of the trade deadline despite the team being in a great position for a playoff run. 

Panarin’s agent Dan Milstein stated on Monday that his client will not negotiate an extension in-season and now team insider Aaron Portzline of The Athletic believes the Blue Jackets are “likely to seek to trade Panarin” before the trade deadline.

And while you may think the fans will be heartbroken to lose him, they should wait to se what Panarin told his agent when discussing the possibility of signing a lengthy contract extension with the Jackets. 

Portzline reports that that those close to Panarin believe he wants to play in a major city like New York or Los Angeles, or a destination such as Tampa Bay or Florida. Milstein said that said that Panarin “loves the team” but wasn’t sure about spending the “ next eight years in Columbus .”

If Panarin still feels this way about the city, that is quite a blow to the poor fans who have been trying to keep him in Columbus.  A few weeks ago, a Columbus based distillery High Bank put up a billboard offering Panarin free vodka for life if he re-signs with the Blue Jackets. A few days later, a second billboard to get Panarin to stay went up in Columbus. A family dental care company decided to offer Panarin free dentistry for life. And we all know how useful this can be for hockey players… 

However it seems like it isn’t enticing enough for Panarin to want to re-sign with the Jackets. Maybe if the offer had been made by the Rangers or the Kings, it would be a different story. 

Panarin is like a real estate agent: location, location, location… 

He has 19 goals and 53 points in 46 games this season and carries a $6 million cap hit with no trade protection and wants to patiently wait for when he becomes eligible on July 1 to sign a contract.