I get booing him (next year. It’s really, really stupid to do boo him right now). I get it more than cheering for him next year honestly (barring him staying past the TDL and us making a really, really deep run in the playoffs this year). I’m probably not gonna boo him, but some people seem to be of the opinion that we should give him a rousing ovation next year when he returns.
Panarin’s like a woman that you had a great relationship with. You had a lot of good times. She gave everything she had to the relationship while she was in it. She never cheated. But when you proposed, she turned it down and ultimately said, “it’s not you, it’s me.”
Is that within her right? Obviously yes. Should you lash out at her and hold a grudge and cry yourself to sleep at night for years? No. It’s both unfair (since she didn’t do anything wrong) and unhealthy for you. But that negative reaction still makes more sense than going to her wedding watching her marry some other dude and applauding it. The best response is to move on and find another girl and forget about the old one forever.
Ultimately, Panarin provided a lot of excitement and yet, he didn’t help us accomplish anything we haven’t already accomplished in our mediocre history (assuming he’s either traded or we keep him but don’t make it out of the first round). He should not be beloved here or cheered when he comes back if he chooses to leave (and I’m not saying you’re saying that SL, but I’ve seen that type of sentiment elsewhere).
