Panarin leaving contract negotiations in agent's hands
Artemi Panarin is happy to let his agent do his job while the Chicago Blackhawks winger sticks to hockey.
Agent Tom Lynn confirmed Tuesday he's in talks with general manager Stan Bowman about a contract extension for his client, whose entry-level deal will expire at the end of 2016-17. Panarin, who's currently in Toronto representing Russia at the World Cup, said he's taking a hands-off approach to the negotiation process.
"I came to play on the NHL level not because of money and contracts," Panarin said through an interpreter, according to Chris Kuc of the Chicago Tribune. "My agent will deal with the rest."
Panarin added, "As of right now, I like everything and … I'm very content."
The Calder Trophy winner is set to earn a base salary of $812,500, but his stellar rookie season brought him around $2.6 million in bonuses.
Panarin scored 30 goals and added 47 assists in 80 games for the Blackhawks last season, and can become a restricted free agent next summer.