Montreal Canadiens: Free agency makes more sense for Artemi Panarin

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COLUMBUS, OH – JANUARY 18: Artemi Panarin Montreal Canadiens (Photo by Adam Lacy/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

Panarin was initially a free agent signing out of the KHL joining the Chicago Blackhawks for the 2015-16 season. He instantly clicked with star winger Patrick Kane putting up 30 goals and 47 assists in 80 games leading to his Calder Cup victory at the end of the year beating Connor McDavid.

Then the doubts came. Some at first thought it was a fluke year for Panarin, and then he went on to have another 70+ point year with the Blackhawks. With some heavy contracts on the books already (both Kane and Jonathan Toews were making $10.5 million per season) Chicago instead chose to give Panarin a two-year bridge deal with a $6 million cap hit. But there was a concern. What do they do afterwards?

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That led directly to the one-for-one deal that saw Brandan Saad return to the Blackhawks. It was safer to get a player with term than run the risk of Panarin walking away when they wouldn’t be able to pay him what he deserved. Besides, there was a chance his success was thanks to playing with Kane.

Well, Panarin joined the Blue Jackets and through that narrative out the window again leading the team in scoring with 82 points, a 25-point lead on Seth Jones who was second with 57.

But Columbus is where Chicago didn’t want to be. Even though it makes their team weaker, Kekalainen has the right idea. The Blue Jackets could keep both and blow more assets to go for a Stanley Cup which could fail horribly and place them in a hole for a number of years or move Panarin to add young pieces for the future and try to get him over the summer.

And it’s not going to be any young piece. Columbus may have a leverage issue here, but the cards are in their hands if a team desperately wants Panarin for this playoff run.

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