Panarin’s agent switch a shocker
LAS VEGAS — The news broke Friday morning and it was a shock to read.
Artemi Panarin had not only fired his friend and agent, Dan Milstein, with a phone call before the Blue Jackets’ 4-2 victory Thursday at the Arizona Coyotes, but he also hired Paul Theofanous as his new agent — who also represents Blue Jackets goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky.
Panarin and Bobrovsky each are in the final year of their contracts and could become unrestricted free agents. Neither was expected to sign with the Blue Jackets before Panarin parting ways with Milstein, but it was certainly a fascinating turn of events.
“Interesting situation,” is how Panarin put it Friday after practice, in his first all-english interview without help from an interpreter. Indeed, it is. Panarin didn’t mince words, though, when asked why he decided to make the switch in representation.
“I left for Paul, because Paul has been working in this league for years,” Panarin said. “Lots of time (as an agent). He knows more how the league works, how general managers are thinking.”
It wasn’t the first time Panarin has changed agents. Tom Lynn first represented the Russian star when Blue Jackets right wing Josh Anderson, lower right, tries to poke the puck past Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington, defenseman Jay Bouwmeester, left, and defenseman Colton Parayko during a Feb. 2 game. Anderson is one goal away from tying his career high and two goals away from the 20-goal plateau. he came over from the Kontinental Hockey League in 2015 and remained Panarin’s agent into the left wing’s second season with the Chicago Blackhawks.
He dropped Lynn in the late fall of the 201617 season and joined Milstein’s stable of talent, which includes Tampa Bay Lightning star forward Nikita Kucherov among other Russian players.
Milstein completed Panarin’s current contract with Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman in December 2016, and Bowman then traded Panarin to the Blue Jackets in June 2017 before the NHL draft held in Chicago.
Since then, Milstein fielded numerous media inquiries the past seven months about Panarin’s unresolved contract situation — including his release of a statement last month on Twitter saying Panarin’s future
wouldn’t be discussed until the offseason.
“Not easy,” Panarin said, when asked whether the phone call to drop Milstein was difficult to make. “But I live in the U.S. I’m more (of a) businessman now. I was friends with him and never thinking about this business. Right now, I’m thinking about this as a business.”
Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen is too. He would like to sign Panarin to a long-term contract, but Panarin said Friday that he wants to test free agency.
“Our approach is going to be the same,” Kekalainen said of the agent switch. “We’ve told his representation the same story and we will tell his new representation the same story again.”
Road warriors
The Blue Jackets’ 2-0-0 start to a key road trip should come as a surprise to no one who follows this team.
After victories against the Colorado Avalanche and Arizona Coyotes to begin this trip, Columbus has a 16-9-1 road record going into the finale Saturday against the Vegas Golden Knights. That’s two wins better than the Jackets’ 14-11-2 home record.
“It’s hard to say why, but on the road we’ve kind of played simple and maybe that’s the way we need to play at home too,” defenseman David Savard said. “I think we’ve just done a really good job lately, the last four periods, to get it going (on the road) and we know it’s going to pay off if we keep playing like that.”
Almost there
After scoring the winning goals Tuesday at the Colorado Avalanche and Thursday in Arizona, Josh Anderson is one goal from tying his career-high of 19 goals last season. He also is on doorstep of a 20-goal plateau that all young forwards eye as a goal.
“It’s definitely a goal of mine to get to 20,” Anderson said. “I could’ve had (the 19th in Arizona) if it didn’t curve too much left, but that’s the way things go. I’ve still got (29) games here to get there, so it should be fine.”