Blue Jackets need to know if Panarin wants to stay
Artemi Panarin has to make a decision. Stay or go? Blue Jackets general man a ger Jarmo Kekalainen needs to know.
To that end, Kekalainen — who with his family spends time in Finland every summer — is planning to meet Panarin in Europe sometime next week. From what I can gather, it will be one-on-one and it will hinge on a single question:
Where does Panarin want to spend the next eight years of his working life?
Panarin is the most dynamic offensive player in Jackets history. He is entering the final year of his contract and will be an unrestricted free agent July 1, 2019. The Jackets want to lock him into a long-term extension, but Panarin walked away from the negotiating table last month, saying he did not want to talk exten- sion “at this time.”
It put the Jackets in a terrible spot.
The Jackets — in the front office, in the locker room and among the ranks of the Arch City Army or the Union Blue Soldiers — love Panarin. They want to build their forward lines around the uber-talented left wing. That Panarin isn’t talking is a major problem.
Kekalainen, before he reads too much into Panarin’s anti-negotiation negotiation, wants to look the young man in the eye and have an hon- est dialogue. Kekalainen wants Panarin, 26, to see the appeal of being The Man for a young team on the rise. Kekalainen, who adores his adopted hometown, wants to highlight the benefits of living and playing in Colum- bus. And he wants to show Panarin a road map to success, even if it’s made out in pencil.
If Panarin would rather test the free-agent market next year it would be a sharp blow to the Jackets. Panarin is one of the 15 best forwards in the league. His level of skill is irreplaceable.
It’s Panarin’s call and he has earned the right to make it. He is a year away from getting a huge raise over his $6 million salary. Huge. Where does he want to spend his money?
“It’s a lifestyle decision” is a phrase heard behind the scenes.
Panarin is, by all accounts, a wonderful teammate. He has an effervescent personality and, judging by his dog videos, he doesn’t mind attracting attention. It could be he wants to exit Columbus for a bigger market, or one with greater tax bene- fits — but he doesn’t want to look like a bad guy on his way out the door.
It’d be nice if things worked that way, but they don’t. The weight of Panarin’s decision has the heft to break a lot of fans’ hearts. If he has a sense of probity, he will stand up and face this discomfiture.
Joyous cheers would ring from Nationwide Boulevard if Panarin re-signs. But if he wants out, the Jackets have to trade him. They have to. They can’t afford a John Tava- res situation where they lose him for nothing.
If Panarin wants out, he must prepare to play under strange circumstances until he gets moved. His dog videos won’t be so adorable, not in the 614. Since his cur- rent contract lacks a no-trade clause, he might get tempo- rarily parked as a rental in a city that is not of his choosing.
If Panarin wants out, he has to understand it’s Keka- lainen’s call. The GM will try to strike the best deal he can, but he will do it with the fran- chise’s well-being as the top priority. It may or may not take awhile.
Where does Panarin want to spend the next eight years of his working life? We may not get the whole answer next week but one city could be eliminated.