"He's sick as a dog," coach John Tortorella said. "Yes, he's very sick. That's why he's out."
The 27-year-old forward leads the Blue Jackets in scoring with 67 points (24 goals, 43 assists) and has seven points (four goals, three assists) in his past five games.
Panarin could return for their next game at the Ottawa Senators on Friday. The Blue Jackets host the San Jose Sharks on Saturday in what is their last game before the NHL Trade Deadline on Feb. 25 at 3 p.m.
Panarin, who can become an unrestricted free agent July 1, said he plans on testing the market in the offseason. The Blue Jackets, the only NHL team to never win a series in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, could trade Panarin or keep him for a potential playoff run and try to re-sign him after July 1, potentially losing him for nothing.
"We're going to have to look at all our options," general manager Jarmo Kekalainen said, "and once we have them in front of us we'll make a decision."
Columbus (33-23-3) is third in the Metropolitan Division, four points behind the second-place Washington Capitals. The Blue Jackets are tied in points with the Pittsburgh Penguins, who hold the first wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Eastern Conference, and the Canadiens, who hold the second wild card.
