from TSN,

According to TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun, the two sides have left things at that since the season began, but Panarin will update his agent on the situation next month.

Panarin is one of two pending unrestricted free agents on the Blue Jackets, along with starting goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky. During the off-season, both Russian stars expressed interest in playing out their current contracts this season.

"I wouldn't say much has changed with Bobrovsky, but here is what I would say with Artemi Panarin. His agent Dan Milstein is slated to meet with him in person next month during the holiday break to go over where they are with that contract situation," LeBrun reported Monday on Insider Trading. "They haven't talked business since early September. We know this off-season, Panarin said he's not ready to sign an extension with Columbus and probably was headed towards the market on July 1st. Now, has that changed? All I can tell you is this - everyone around him feels that he is a happy person. He's scoring, the team is in first place and that is the greatest asset that the Blue Jackets have right now is to keep showing him that this a good place to be.

"In the meantime, I asked Jarmo Kekäläinen on Monday, what if he's still unsigned at the trade deadline? He brought up the example of Jack Johnson, who last year was a pending UFA, the Blue Jackets examined the trade offers on the table and decided they would keep him for the playoffs. They can do the same thing with Panarin or obviously they can move him.

"The bottom line is I think they'll make him a contract offer right before the deadline to see if they can convince him to stay."

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