The Columbus Blue Jackets are just 12 wins away from lifting their first Stanley Cup. Their unlikely sweep over the Tampa Bay Lightning has only sprayed lighter fluid into the already blazing tempest of rumors and speculation as to where Artemi Panarin will land.
Regardless of what happens with the Blue Jackets in the postseason, Panarin will become a free agent on July 1. He and Erik Karlsson — if he gets there — will be the two most-desired players on the market. Both are players who can alter the fate of a franchise, which means that they will have no shortage of suitors.