from Frank Seravalli of TSN,

Jarmo Kekalainen’s phone has been lit up like a Christmas tree since Monday.

The rest of the NHL’s general managers have been phoning their cohort in Columbus since Monday’s statement by Artemi Panarin’s agent, Dan Milstein, which seemingly all but assured his client’s fate with the Blue Jackets.

“It’s disappointing,” Kekalainen told reporters Tuesday. “But all we can do is do our best.”

The consensus now is that Panarin is more likely to be traded than not.

That makes Panarin the new No. 1 on TSN’s Trade Bait board, bumping Matt Duchene and his uncertain future in Ottawa down to No. 2.

Rarely does a talent like the Bread Man become available at any point on the hockey calendar. Panarin, 27, is one of the few wingers who drives play on a nightly basis. He is on pace for a career-best 33 goals and 96 points, he’s been remarkably consistent in four NHL seasons, and he’s in the absolute prime of his career.

Unlike fellow pending unrestricted free agent Sergei Bobrovsky, Panarin does not have any no-trade protection and can be moved to any team.

continued which includes the Top 45 trade list...