Insider: Teams Already Dropping Out of Panarin Trade Sweepstakes

All three California teams — Anaheim, Los Angeles, and San Jose — have been linked to Chicago through their past relationships. LeBrun, however, believes the Ducks are out. An extension for Panarin doesn’t fit their timeline, given that so many young core players need new contracts soon. Committing four years at around $11 million per season just doesn’t make sense for them.

San Jose has spoken with the Rangers, and Mike Grier and Chris Drury do have history together. That said, it’s unclear how serious the Sharks want to be. They’ve already made moves recently, and while they’ll have plenty of cap space next summer, they may need a center more than another winger.

As for the Kings, it feels like Ken Holland is staying involved just to see where things go, but there’s no strong sense they’re aggressively pushing. It’s fair to wonder if ownership would commit that kind of money on an extension.

Panarin’s fit with Carolina is also questionable, given their style of play. LeBrun said that if he had to guess where Panarin might prefer, Florida could be high on his list — but there are still several possibilities as this unfolds.