Artemi Panarin NHL Trade Rumors August 31, 2018
Artemi Panarin wants to be traded to the New York Rangers

Artemi Panarin’s preferred destination is the New York Rangers

The Score: Josh Wegman reports Artemi Panarin apparently has his eyes set on the New York Rangers. The Russian forward reportedly told the Columbus Blue Jackets in June that he wasn’t ready to negotiate a contract extension, forcing the club to begin testing the market for its leading point producer. Now, sources have told The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline that the New York Rangers are Panarin’s first choice.

The 26-year-old has one year left on his deal which carries a $6-million cap hit. He doesn’t have a no-trade clause, and any interested team would likely have plans to sign him to a long-term extension.

The Rangers, New York Islanders, Los Angeles Kings, Tampa Bay Lightning, Florida Panthers, and Dallas Stars were all on Panarin’s list of preferred destinations at the draft, Portzline notes.

The Jackets have fielded offers for Panarin, but most packages have contained high draft picks and prospects – neither of which would help the team’s chances of returning to the playoffs.

Max Pacioretty wants to stay in Montreal

The Score: Max Pacioretty wants to play for the Montreal Canadiens. It appears the Habs don’t want Pacioretty. His agent, Allan Walsh is quoted as saying, “Max Pacioretty has stated repeatedly that he loves Montreal and wants to remain in Montreal. To this date, he’s never received any offer from Montreal. You can have 3 sources or 10 sources, how many times does Max have to state that he wants to remain in Montreal long term?”

The Habs have attempted to trade Pacioretty, but a deal with the Los Angeles Kings may not have been the only move that ultimately fell through. The team also reportedly had a three-way trade in place at the draft which would have shipped Pacioretty to the New York Islanders. The 29-year-old can become an unrestricted free agent next summer.

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