Artemi Panarin headlines this year’s free agent class by far and away. His 2018-19 salary came in at $6 million. Also, Panarin agreed to a deal with a nice signing bonus structure (just over $6.2 million). That features as a possible precursor in his next deal. It is a deal that expects to easily exceed $10 million AAV.
The problem is which team will the forward choose? A return to Columbus appears unlikely and the free agent has politely declined offers from quite a few teams. It feels like a four-horse race of sorts. The New York Rangers, New York Islanders, Florida Panthers, and a mysterious fourth team lead the running.