Artemi Panarin, despite a late push from the Columbus Blue Jackets to sign the playmaker, has elected to leave for the New York Rangers.
And man, did Columbus try late to keep him.
Hearing AAV could be $13M. Don’t know if it’s the exact number but the biddings are high. https://t.co/Cgbcib4cjl
— Renaud Lavoie (@renlavoietva) July 1, 2019
Number is north of $11 million/per for 8 and possibly significantly higher – which fits other reports out there about a possible $13 mill/year aav. https://t.co/w7TfSjQ6tF
— Brian Hedger (@BrianHedger) July 1, 2019
Word is the Blue Jackets do not expect Artemi Panarin will accept their last ditch offer of 8 years and $96 million by midnight tonight. So if he wants to make that total elsewhere, the salary will have to be $13.7 million a year. He must really, really want to play elsewhere.
— Ken Campbell (@THNKenCampbell) July 1, 2019
Despite these late offers for large dollars, Panarin elected to move on from Columbus to the New York Rangers. John Davidson left, and in the end, he took Artemi Panarin with him.
All signs are pointing toward the NYR landing Artemi Panarin.
— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) July 1, 2019
Panarin looks like $81.5M over 7 to NYR
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) July 1, 2019
Panarin was brought to Columbus in June 2017 in exchange for Anton Forsberg, Brandon Saad, and a fifth round pick. Panarin immediately slotted onto the top line and posted a Blue Jackets record five primary assists in one game en route to a CBJ record 82 points in 2017-18 (27-55-82).
Panarin bettered his own record in 2018-19 with a 28-59-87 season for the Jackets. In the playoffs, he posted 7-11-18 in 16 games to go along with his 169 regular season points. Panarin will return to Columbus on December 5, 2019 and February 14, 2020.
Thanks for everything you did for Columbus Artemi, and best of luck in New York.