Chicago Blackhawks winger Artemi Panarin won the Calder Trophy last season and helped Patrick Kane to his Hart Trophy with outstanding play on their top line. He’s entering the last year of his entry-level contract, and he’s looking to get paid.
Which, if you know your recent Blackhawks history, is sort of a problem.
According to the Chicago Tribune, Panarin is seeking a six-year deal with in excess of $6 million per season. From the Tribune:
Panarin’s agent, Tom Lynn, said last week that the sides were in discussions on a new deal for the winger, who will be a restricted free agent following the 2016-17 season.
On Tuesday at the United Center, Bowman took a pass on commenting on any talks with Panarin’s camp. “I don’t think it’s a productive thing to kind of negotiate through the media,” Bowman said. “Obviously, Artemi is a big part of our team. We’re excited for the season he had. We’re looking forward to him building on that as well. And then the negotiations will be what they are between his agent and myself. I respect Tom, he’s a very knowledgeable guy and I know Artemi put a lot of faith in him. Tom and I will work to get something done.”
Obviously, when it comes to the Blackhawks and new contracts, your thoughts go to all the players that have had to leave Chicago due to their deals or demands for new ones. Brandon Saad, a pretty damn talented young forward, is a member of the Columbus Blue Jackets for that very reason.
That said, Panarin has a few bits of leverage in his favor. The first is, of course, just bolting to Russia to make his money. The other is that he was arguably Kane’s best linemate, and it’s in the team’s best interest to keep their best offensive player that dominant.
You’d expect he gets the money. And then, after that, we’ll see what other dominoes have to fall. Because they always do when Stan Bowman signs one of his key players.
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