Kekalainen on draft options, Panarin: 'I never rule out anything'

DALLAS - Heading into the 2018 NHL Draft on Friday night at American Airlines Center, Jarmo Kekalainen has a lot on his plate.
The Blue Jackets' general manager has five picks to weigh, including 18th overall, and said Friday there's a chance he might look to trade down in the first round to add more.
"Our list is pretty much done now, so we'll see," Kekalainen said. "If all of our top-priority guys are gone, and we get to, let's say Pick No. 15] and it's getting thin, then we're going to look at moving back. There are a few teams after [No. 18] that could be moving up and those talks are ongoing now, and will heat up on the floor, so we'll see. Maybe we can pick up a second-round pick or a second and third or something, by moving [back] a few spots."
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That kind of trade wouldn't make too many waves, but there's also a possibility the Jackets could make a much bigger splash, should Kekalainen decide to trade Artemi Panarin. That option is on Kekalainen's plate too, after Panarin's agent told him earlier this week the star left wing wasn't ready to begin negotiating on a long-term contract extension.
Panarin only has one more year left on his current contract, which pays him $6 million a season. If he doesn't agree to an extension with Columbus before July 1, 2019, he can become an unrestricted free agent and leave for another team without the Blue Jackets getting any sort of compensation.
It's a situation that presents Kekalainen and the Blue Jackets' front office with an interesting set of options.
They could trade him now in an effort to maximize the return. They could wait it out to see if Panarin is more interested in negotiating later. They could hang onto him to start the season and see what the return would be like at the trade deadline. Or they could just hold onto him for another full season and continue trying to sign him long-term.
Kekalainen didn't rule out the possibility of trading Panarin at the draft, but also said the goal remains to sign him.
"I never rule out anything," he said. "I say it all the time. In this business, [Wayne Gretzky] got traded. Nobody's untouchable. I know it's cliché and been heard before, but if somebody throws something at us that will make our team better in the long run, and it makes sense for the organization, we have to listen and look at it. But our priority is to get him signed and do everything we can to persuade him to stay in Columbus long-term. He's a great player and we also love him as a person and as a teammate. He's a great guy off the ice and I've [got] nothing but good things to say about Artemi."

Kekalainen acquired Panarin at the draft last year in Chicago, hours before the first pick was made. The Blue Jackets sent Brandon Saad back to the Blackhawks in that deal, which also included a package of players and picks going each way.
Panarin, 26, was acquired to be the elite impact player the Jackets lacked up front, and he delivered on those expectations. He led the team with 27 goals and finished the season with a franchise-record 82 points in 81 games.
He was also universally liked within the locker room and meshed easily into the culture of a new team, after spending his first two NHL seasons in Chicago.
"We have to take care of the Columbus Blue Jackets and the future of the franchise and the club, so that's what we'll do," Kekalainen said. "That's what we're hired to do and you have to take the emotion out of it. Artemi's done everything right for us. He's been a great player for us and we love him. We want to have him for eight years. We've made it clear to him that we want to have him as a big part of our future and we want to build our team around him, and that doesn't change. We'll keep trying [to sign him] until it's too late, if it is too late, but hopefully not."
Panarin's contract isn't the only one to watch, either. Goalie Sergei Bobrovsky only has one year left on his deal, as well.
"Yeah, we've had some dialogue and same exact words go for 'Bob,'" Kekalainen said. "He's a huge part of our franchise and our team, and he's another guy that does everything right, on and off the ice. He's a great pro and a great example and leader on our team, so we hope to keep him for a long time. Same, exact statement as I said about Artemi. We love Bob and we want to keep him."