Artemi Panarin has reportedly named his price, and it doesn't bode well for the Chicago Blackhawks.
The reigning Calder Trophy winner is seeking a six-year extension worth more than $6 million per season, according to Chris Kuc of the Chicago Tribune, citing a source.
Panarin's agent, Tom Lynn, revealed his client and the Blackhawks began contract discussions last week, and Chicago general manager Stan Bowman is optimistic a deal will get done.
"We're always confident," Bowman said. "You go into a negotiation expecting to get a deal done. That's the way I've been in the past and that's the way I am now.
"Each negotiation is different," Bowman added. "I wouldn't put any timetables or handicap it one way or another. It will get done when it gets done."
Panarin torched opponents alongside Patrick Kane last season, scoring 30 goals and adding 47 assists, which has already earned him several bonuses on his current contract, a $812,500 cap hit.
The problem for Chicago - the same problem that's hit them every offseason since catapulting into the NHL's elite - is cap space.
The Blackhawks are $2 million under the salary cap, and owe captain Jonathan Toews and Kane $10.5 million annually through 2023. Additionally, Marian Hossa, Duncan Keith, and Brent Seabrook are all on contracts greater than $5 million per year until 2021, 2023, and 2024 respectively.
That, as evidenced by the Blackhawks' three Stanley Cups since 2010, is the price of success in today's NHL.
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