Artemi Panarin Reportedly Seeking $10-11M/Year Contract

If the media rumblings are true, Blue Jackets star forward Artemi Panarin may ultimately price himself out of Columbus. TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reported on Tuesday that the pending unrestricted free agent is looking for a deal worth $10-11 million per year.

Should mention that the expectation is that Panarin’s camp will be seeking $10 million to $11 million a year in his next deal whether that’s in Columbus or on the open market…

— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) November 20, 2018

CapFriendly indicates that only one winger (Panarin’s former linemate Patrick Kane) in the entire NHL earns at least $10 million per season.

While it is true that such figures are typically reserved for superstar centers, Panarin is an unusual case. Despite playing wing on Columbus’ top unit alongside Pierre-Luc Dubois and Cam Atkinson, the 27-year-old is without question its driving force. He navigates the neutral zone with complete ease and dictates the flow of the offense like few players in the world.

For two exhilarating years in Chicago, he and Kane skated circles around the opposition. When Panarin was dealt to Columbus for Brandon Saad in an effort to revive Jonathan Toews’ offense, some suggested that the Russian would struggle without Kane’s help.

That has proven wholly incorrect thus far, as he produced 82 points in 81 games in his first campaign in Columbus and sports 22 points through 20 games this year.

According to Corsica, the Blue Jackets control 53.8% of shot attempts and 60.6% of goals scored when he’s on the ice at 5-on-5. He also performs very well in those areas relative to his teammates, so this doesn’t boil down to playing for a good team. He’s one of the main reasons Columbus is sitting at 12-7-2 and in first place in the Metropolitan Division.

Better yet, he isn’t getting by on unsustainable puck luck (101.7 PDO). He is indeed as good as his numbers would lead you to believe.

With all that said, it’s hard to argue that he should command $10-plus million per year. This league operates on market value, and only Kane is earning that much. Nikita Kucherov, a better goal scorer and more productive winger of late, signed an eight-year extension worth $9.5 million per year in July.

Is Panarin worth more to the Blue Jackets than Kucherov is to the Lightning? Moreover, is Columbus willing to commit that sort of money to a single player?

Even on his expiring bridge deal, Panarin is already making more than every other skater on the team. Columbus should have quite a bit of cap space this offseason, but it will need to re-sign RFA defensemen Zach Werenski and Ryan Murray among others while making key decisions on Panarin and goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky.

One thing is clear: If Panarin does look elsewhere, he will leave a glaring hole in Columbus’ top six. No one on the roster can step in and match his level of creativity and puck control. Therefore, the Blue Jackets may feel compelled to lock up their dynamic winger — even if it’s on his terms.