The Columbus blue Jackets will get a glimpse of what the future will look like without Bread and Bob.
According to the team, the Columbus Blue Jackets will be without starting goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky and star forward Artemi Panarin tonight against the Florida Panthers.
This gives the Columbus Blue Jackets the chance to see how the team can fair without Bobrovsky next season, if the Jackets do decide to move on after his contract expires this season. Bobrovsky has not said a word about his meetings with the Jackets management on his future with the team.
Without Bobrovsky in the lineup, the Columbus Blue Jackets are forced to start Joonas Korpisalo, who will be making his 8th start of the season tonight. Korpisalo will most likely be the goaltender with Elvis Merzlikins backing up Korpi next season. Even through eight starts, Korpisalo has not looked like a league number one as of this season.
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Artemi Panarin is also out with sickness tonight against Florida. The Jackets will also get to see how they perform without their reigning scoring leader. Panarin has been a great playmaker so far this young season, but hasn’t produced goals at the level many had hoped he would for the Jackets.
With contract rumors spiraling around these two players and both being absent from the Jackets roster this evening, it will give management a look into what could possibly be the future for the Jackets going forward.
Both players have looked uninspired at times and this will be the Jackets real test to see how they would move on if the worst case scenario happens where they lose both players.
If Panarin is not signed to a long term deal by the deadline, he’ll most likely be sent out of Columbus, and Sergei Bobrovsky will most likely be sent to do the same come seasons end. Tonight will be a great look into what life will be like without these two star players.