Nearly a month into the 2018 NHL regular-season schedule and the respective futures of Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky and left-wing Artemi Panarin appear no closer to a resolution. There’s growing speculation over whether one or both could hit the trade block later this season.
Both are arguably the most important of the Blue Jackets’ core players. The 30-year-old Bobrovsky is the only active two-time winner of the Vezina Trophy and considered among the NHL’s elite goalies. Panarin, 26, is among the league’s most gifted scorers, coming off a career-best 82-point performance in 2017-18.
Bobrovsky and Panarin are vital to the Blue Jackets’ Stanley Cup contender aspirations. They’re also due to become unrestricted free agents next July.
Since the summer, general manager Jarmo Kekalainen has attempted to re-sign the duo. His efforts have so far proven unsuccessful.
It’s believed Kekalainen has a long-term offer on the table for Bobrovsky but the netminder reportedly seeks a deal comparable to the eight-year, $84-million contract ($10.5 million annual average value) of Montreal Canadiens goalie Carey Price. That’s likely more than the Jackets are willing to pay.
At least Kekalainen’s had contract discussions with the Bobrovsky camp. Panarin refuses to discuss a new deal during the season and there’s talk he’d prefer playing in a larger American market, such as New York, Florida or California.
The ongoing uncertainty over Bobrovsky and Panarin is making them the subject of ongoing trade chatter. At the start of the season, The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun had both on his list of 10 players most likely to be dealt before the February trade deadline.
Of the two, Panarin’s drawn the most attention in the trade-rumor mill. TSN’s Darren Dreger believes the New York Rangers will monitor the winger’s situation. Meanwhile, NBC Sports’ Joe Haggerty and The Boston Globe‘s Kevin Paul Dupont both pondered the cost for the Bruins to acquire Panarin.
Bobrovsky didn’t appear as frequently in season-opening trade speculation. His struggles of late and apparent unhappiness, however, recently prompted Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman to suggest the situation between the goalie and the team could become untenable.
With Panarin playing well (15 points in his first 10 games), don’t expect to see him as part of an early-season trade. Bobrovsky’s current difficulties aside, Kekalainen could be unwilling to move the veteran goalie until he feels comfortable in backup Joonas Korpisalo taking over as the full-time starter.
Bobrovsky and Panarin would attract considerable attention if Kekalainen decides to shop them. However, their pending free-agent statuses could hurt their value in the trade market. While rival clubs will certainly be interested, they’ll be resistant to parting with significant returns for two potential UFAs.
Kekalainen could set the asking price for each at a good young roster player, a first-round pick and a top prospect. If they’re still unsigned by the deadline, however, he could be forced to accept much less than that.
Despite the uncertainty over the futures of their two best players, the Blue Jackets remain among the top-10 clubs in the Eastern Conference. That leaves Kekalainen facing a tough choice: stick with Bobrovsky and Panarin for the remainder of the season at the risk of losing both to free agency next summer, or trade one or both and jeopardize his club’s playoff hopes.
So far, Kekalainen’s given no hint of his intentions. Unless he gets an offer for one or both players too good to pass up, he probably won’t make a decision until mid-January at the earliest. By that point, Kekalainen will know what type of club he has.
If the Jackets are among the top contenders, he’ll likely keep Bobrovsky and Panarin and take his chances with free agency in the summer.
Should the Jackets fall out of playoff contention or are barely hanging on, Kekalainen could start fielding offers with an eye on moving both to the highest bidders before deadline day.
