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- Jun 13, 2009
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- Artemi Panarin and Sergei Bobrovsky could be with the Columbus Blue Jackets for a long time or could be gone before the season starts, general manager Jarmo Kekalainen said Friday.
Though a contract extension for the forward and goalie remain possible, Kekalainen wouldn't commit to either opening the season at the Detroit Red Wings on Oct. 4.
"I can't," Kekalainen said. "In this business, there's always talks between the general managers whether you've got pending free agents or not. We talk regularly. Sometimes there's trades. So I'm not speculating on them. I'm just saying we talk all the time, so I wouldn't say about any player whether they're a pending free agent or not that they'll be on our team in October because anything can happen between now and Oct. 3."
The Blue Jackets have until July 1 to sign Panarin and Bobrovsky before each can become an unrestricted free agent.
"I think we have to make some decisions based on where it goes at the appropriate time," Kekalainen said. "If we can't work out a contract, then we'll have to make some decisions. I wouldn't say they're just going to stay and ride out into the sunset.
"Where we're at with our team, we have to make some decisions and we're hopeful we can get contracts done. If not, we'll have to make some decisions."
"We want to keep them and we haven't been able to be successful yet in extending their contracts, but we're still optimistic we can get things done and we feel they can be a huge part of our team in the future," Kekalainen said. "We're going to have a good team into the future and hopefully they want to be part of it. That's our mindset right now, to keep working at it."
Panarin, Bobrovsky not guaranteed to start season with Blue Jackets
But things are changing. There’s Tavares. And there’s also Artemi Panarin, who has already made it clear that he doesn’t want to sign long-term with the team in which he currently is employed in Columbus. He’s part of a stacked free agent Class of 2019 and that standpoint has led to plenty of trade speculation, although his agent Dan Milstein said on Thursday that he expects Panarin to open the season in Columbus.
“We’ve spoken with management and we expect Panarin to be with the Blue Jackets,” Milstein told The Athletic.
Depending on what happens with Karlsson and the Senators, it might be Milstein’s client who is the most likely to follow the Tavares blueprint.
“Look at it this way, you only become a UFA once in your career when you have an option and opportunity to sign a long-term contract,” he said. “Loyalty is important but you’re given the right by the CBA to see what’s out there.”
Custance: How potential star free agents view the John...
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