In most cases, trading for someone on an expiring deal is a bad idea. But to every case, there’s an outlier and Artemi Panarin is just that for the New York Islanders this year.
Yesterday, we found out that Panarin will not be re-signing with the Columbus Blue Jackets and that a trade is likely. The Blue Jackets are smart for moving on from someone who has no intentions of staying.
Panarin, who just turned 27, is about to become a UFA but boy is he enticing to look at. He’s got 53 points (19 goals, 34 assists) in 46 games with Columbus.