from Michael Arace of the Columbus Dispatch,
Here are a few questions and observations as the Jackets evaluate how to upgrade:...
What about Bread, and what about Bob? These are the big questions. Panarin, the most talented Jacket to ever don the Union Blue sweater (with the exception of Sergei Fedorov, who was well beyond his prime when he landed on the shores of the Scioto), is entering the final year of his contract. So is goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, a two-time Vezina winner and franchise foundation.
If I’m the GM, I back up the Brinks truck for Panarin and hope he re-ups.
As for Bob? Man, that’s a tough call. Do you give him a long-term deal — say, seven years — at $10 million per? Do you believe he has slain his playoff dragons? Your alternatives — Joonas Korpisalo and/or a revolving door of free-agent goalies — can’t be any better. If I’m the GM, I take into account that Bob is in his prime, he is quality, and he has meant a great deal to the organization. I also think hard how the goaltender position fits under my cap heading into the 2020s.
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