Columbus Blue Jackets Dark Horse Artemi Panarin Trade Partners

San Jose and Toronto are likely trade partners with the Columbus Blue Jackets for Artemi Panarin, but who are some dark horse candidates?

Summer is coming to an end and the Columbus Blue Jackets still haven’t traded Artemi Panarin. Smart money is on the Jackets trading the star forward sometime before the trade deadline. It doesn’t appear as if anything has changed with Artmei’s stance toward re-signing and that means he will likely be traded. Jarmo is too smart and won’t allow what happened to the Islanders to happen here in Columbus.

Hockey insider Elliotte Friedman reported earlier in the summer that San Jose and Toronto were both early favorites to land Panarin. Acquiring Panarin makes sense for these teams and could still happen. But to this point neither team has sealed the deal for the Breadman.

So beyond Toronto and San Jose, who are some dark horse candidates to land Panarin? Who makes sense in terms of cap space, assets to give up, and timing? Lets break down a few teams that could be dark horse candidates to land Panarin.

New York Islanders

The Columbus Blue Jackets will likely trade Artemi so they don’t end up looking like the Islanders. After being unable to re-sign John Tavares and not trading him before the deadline, the Islanders let their franchise center walk out the door for nothing in return.

Now they will be looking to prove that they can still compete in the tough Metro Division. Newly hired GM Lou Lamoriello will look to make a splash after he lost Tavares to Toronto. Panarin would be one heck of a splash.

New York has plenty of cap space this year as well as six expiring forward contracts that total $19,450,000 coming of the books at the end of this year. That will ensure that they can sign Panarin long term and Artemi gets to play in a bigger, more metropolitan market.

The Islanders also have a some assets they can deal. Josh Bailey could be a player involved in a deal for Panarin that gives the Jackets a top six forward which they certainly be looking for. Bailey had 71 points in 77 games last year for the Islanders. They have had two impressive drafts in a row as well and have stocked some top-tier prospects.

There is cap space, assets that both franchises value, and an impetus to make a deal. The Islanders are a realistic landing spot for Panarin.

Florida Panthers

The Panthers are in a very similar spot to where the Jackets were two years ago. A good, young core, but without the star power to make them a legitimate threat. Florida did land Mike Hoffman in one of the oddest trade sequences of the summer, but Artemi Panrin would make them a contender in a very competitive Atlantic Division.

Southern Florida would be a destination Panarin would like and the Panthers have pieces to give up. Nick Bjugstad and Vincent Trocheck are top six forwards that could slide into the Jackets lineup and contribute. So could 21-year-old Henrik Borgstrom.

One of the three would be a must in a trade package for Panarin. Not only because they are all top six forwards, but also to open up cap space for the Panthers.

The Panthers also have a nice stable of high end prospects they could give up such as last year’s first round pick Owen Tippet and last season’s WHL most productive scorer, Aleksi Heponiemi.

The Panthers would need to throw in a prospect or a pick along with one of their top six forwards. That would likely take Tippet off the board but Heponiemi or Serron Noel could be included in the package.

The offseason addition of Hoffman didn’t take the Panthers off the table as a trade destination. But they have to be willing to package a top six winger and a prospect or pick. Florida could be the new home of Artemi Panarin.