Well, this doesn't sound great.
In a statement posted to Twitter, Dan Milstein, agent for Blue Jackets forward Artemi Panarin, said he's informed the team his client wants to wait until after the season to discuss his future with the team.
Here's the tweet:
Statement about Artemi Panarins future We have informed the team that we are willing to discuss Artemis future after the season. Our priority now is to focus on the rest of the season, trying to win a Stanley Cup for the CBJ & their fans. No additional comments will be made..
— Dan Milstein-Hockey (@HockeyAgent1) January 28, 2019
Panarin is scheduled to become an unrestricted agent on July 1, and this puts the Blue Jackets in a tough spot. Should they hold on to Panarin and pursue a deep playoff run, they risk losing a valuable asset for nothing should he choose to leave in free agency. If they trade him before the Feb. 25 deadline, they subtract a key cog in their team at a critical point of the year.
Now, the pressure and the microscope shifts to the Blue Jackets and GM Jarmo Kekalainen. Stay tuned to 1st Ohio Battery as this story develops.
