Potential trade candidates are emerging for New York Rangers winger Artemi Panarin, while the Columbus Blue Jackets are still determining whether to be sellers in the trade market.
Artemi Panarin has played his final game with the New York Rangers.
The 34-year-old left winger is being held out of the Rangers lineup for "roster management purposes," which is a fancy way of saying that he could be traded soon. He is not expected to play in any games leading up to next month's Olympic break from Feb. 4 to 22.
The writing was on the wall earlier this month when the Rangers informed Panarin, who is UFA-eligible on July 1, that they would not offer him a contract extension and would work with him to find a suitable trade destination.
Panarin carries an $11.6-million cap hit this season, which can complicate efforts to move the remainder of his contract by the March 6 trade deadline. He also has a full no-movement clause, which he'd have to waive to accept a trade.
The Rangers have permitted Panarin's agent to speak with other teams to facilitate a trade. TSN's Chris Johnston reported sources said the player seeks a contract extension as part of the deal.
Vincent Z. Mercogliano of The Athletic reported sources he'd spoken with suggested Panarin would prefer to remain in the Eastern Conference, with the Florida Panthers and Washington Capitals mentioned as possible destinations. TSN's Pierre LeBrun reported the Capitals are interested in Panarin, and so are the Carolina Hurricanes.
If an extension is too difficult to manage, Mercogliano mentioned the Colorado Avalanche and Dallas Stars were suggested as rental landing spots. He also noted there are rumors linking Panarin to the Los Angeles Kings and Anaheim Ducks.
Mercogliano felt the Ducks would have the advantage, given their position in the standings and his ties to Ducks coach Joel Quenneville from their days with the Chicago Blackhawks. However, LeBrun said the Ducks are out because a contract extension doesn't make sense for them.
San Jose Hockey Now's Sheng Peng reported the Sharks are interested in Panarin and are willing to sign him to an extension. He indicated that doesn't mean they're close to acquiring him. LeBrun confirmed they're interested, but he currently doesn't see them as a front-runner.
Turning to the Columbus Blue Jackets, they're 10 points out of a wild-card berth in the Eastern Conference, prompting speculation they could be sellers.
RG.Org's Marco D'Amico reported the Blue Jackets were getting calls about their UFA-eligible players, such as centers Boone Jenner and Charlie Coyle. There is also interest in left winger Dmitri Voronkov, who is in the first season of a two-year contract with an affordable average annual value of $4.175 million.
However, the Blue Jackets have won six of seven games under new coach Rick Bowness. In his column for The Athletic, LeBrun indicated that they're not ready yet to become sellers. They're hoping this run under Bowness puts them back into playoff contention by the upcoming Olympic break.
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