9 Artemi Panarin LW

Blue Jackets' Artemi Panarin: Shuts down contract talks

Panarin has one year remaining on a two-year contract worth $12 million, and it appears he'll look to obtain his full market value next summer as an unrestricted free agent for the first time of his career. The 26-year-old posted at least 74 points in each of his first three seasons, so his next deal will be top dollar. Predictably, the Blue Jackets don't want to let Panarin walk after the 2018-19 season without a return, so they will test the trade market, which could keep the spotlight on him during the 2018 NHL Draft.

Blue Jackets' Artemi Panarin: Contract negotiations on hold

While Panarin has one year remaining on a two-year deal originally procured by the Blackhawks, it's not uncommon for elite players like him to engage in contract discussions a year ahead of time, though talks of a new deal had been on hold during the IIHF World Championship. The megastar from Russia led his team in points by a mile last season -- he accrued 27 goals and 55 assists over 81 games, which was an astounding 25 points greater than the output of the next highest Columbus skater, Seth Jones. Panarin would also set the offensive scoring standard for his squad in the Stanley Cup playoffs, dropping seven points over six games before the Cup-winning Capitals took them down in the conference quarterfinals. A knee sprain crept up on him in the postseason, but it's not expected to affect his status for training camp.

Blue Jackets' Artemi Panarin: Receiving treatment for knee sprain

Assuming Panarin can avoid surgery, it seems as though he should be good to go when training camp rolls around in the fall. The 26-year-old winger tallied a career-high 82 points -- 27 goals and 55 assists -- in his third NHL season and remains under contract through next season before potentially hitting the open market. However, it wouldn't be surprising if the Blue Jackets made an attempt at extending him this offseason.

Blue Jackets' Artemi Panarin: Admits to knee injury

The winger took a skate off his knee in Game 5, and it showed in his play -- after racking up seven points and a plus-1 rating in the first four games of the seriss, Panarin was held off the scoresheet with a minus-5 rating in the final two games. While the timing of the injury was awful for Columbus, it doesn't seem like something that will linger into 2018-19. Heading into the final year of his current contract and coming off a career-best 82 points in the regular season, the 26-year-old will probably begin talks with the Jackets on an extension over the summer as the club looks to build its offense around him.

Blue Jackets' Artemi Panarin: Two more points in Game 3 loss

That's now eight straight multi-point games for the 26-year-old, dating back to the regular season, and Panarin once again looked like the most consistently dangerous player on the ice for either team -- an impressive feat when you're facing Alex Ovechkin. He's got two goals and seven points through three games in the series, and the Caps will need to find some way to slow Panarin down Thursday in Game 4 if they want to avoid falling into a 3-1 hole.