Russian: There have been all sorts of rumors making the rounds about where this year’s top pending unrestricted free agent could be headed. Artemi Panarin and the New York Rangers are nowhere close to considering an extension, and with all the other pending UFAs locking in with their incumbent teams over the past few weeks, Panarin would be No. 1 on the open market next summer, despite his age (34).
But according to another former All-Star Russian player, Alexei Kovalev, Panarin may actually choose to leave the NHL and head home to the KHL.
Reporter Sergey Demidov of rg.org spoke with Kovalev, who told him that feeling comfortable in your situation should be the most important factor for a player to consider, and Panarin should take that into consideration:
There are even talks that he wants to leave the NHL altogether and go back to Russia.
Panarin was notably asked by the Blueshirts earlier this year to take a team-discount deal, at a short term and a lower than market value AAV. His camp flatly rejected the idea, and extension talks have completely shut down since then.
“I once made my own mistake when I left for Ottawa… But for me, it was a matter of principle when I left Montreal. I wanted to feel respected,” he said. “Still, Russian you shouldn’t push too hard for that. Money is not always the main thing – far from it. What matters most is the place, the comfort, the people. Sometimes, you can give up some money and still enjoy the team and the environment.”
The 52-year-old Kovalev played 19 years in the NHL, nine of them with the Rangers, so he knows of what he speaks.
Panarin could take his talents back to the KHL, according to Russian legend
The Rangers are struggling once again this season, currently sitting in last place in the Metropolitan Division. What will happen with Panarin — A trade? An extension? A move back to Russia? Nobody knows right now, but as Demidov notes, “the tension continues to build. The Rangers need clarity, while Panarin wants control.”
Would the Bread Man really leave the NHL if he doesn’t get the dough he’s looking for?
“I don’t know if it’s true, but that’s what people (in Russian) are saying,” said Kovalev.
Like the rest of his team, Panarin is off to a slow start this season, with just five goals and 19 points in 22 games, far below his usual pace of well over a point per game.
He started his hockey career with several seasons in the KHL, including a three-year stint that wound up with a league title, before coming to North America.
