“I can say, ‘What the f***, Bread?’ and ‘What the f***, Bob?’ but what’s that going to do?” said Atkinson, one of Panarin’s closer friends on the club. “Trust me, we’ve had those conversations before, but ultimately it’s their decision. I’m not going to hold a gun to their heads, even though I should. I might have to.
“Everyone in their position has that right. You only get so many chances in your career to have that opportunity (unrestricted free agency), so why not take advantage of the situation? Everyone is different. I love it here (in Columbus). I started playing my career here and I want to finish it here, but everyone’s different. That’s all I can say.”
“You have those conversations,” Foligno said. “It’s nothing I’m going to talk about out loud. Just knowing them and the way they … I can’t control how they feel, personally, and it’s something I’m not going to worry about because I can’t change that.
“I told them both, as long as you’re here, you’re going to play as hard as you can for us and do everything you can to help us win. I don’t think anyone can argue that they’ve done that.”
“Whatever their reasons (are for not signing contract extensions), as long as it doesn’t bleed into this team — which it hasn’t — then I have no issues,” Foligno said. “(With) Bob, one time it did, and we addressed it and moved on.
“Everybody’s human. They’re going to have these emotions, but that was the reset we needed for those guys: ‘Hey, whatever emotions you’re having cannot come into this room.’ That was addressed and it’s been moved on and it’s been great since. That’s all we ask of anybody.”
. Not to toot my own horn, but I've also been saying for 2 years Bob would be gonzo, that the writing was on the wall with Jarmo. No goalie is worth 10 mill in todays NHL. Even 7 mill is a huge stretch. Give me 2 solid goalies to platoon, our defensive core, and upgrade the forwards, and we will finally go some where.
