Artemi Panarin would make the Tampa Bay Lightning almost unstoppable

Could the Tampa Bay Lightning work something out with Artemi Panarin? If they do, they’d become the closest thing the NHL has to the Golden State Warriors.

Columbus Blue Jackets forward Artemi Panarin is officially on the trade market. His agent recently announced he wouldn’t negotiate a deal with his team until after this season. This puts the Blue Jackets in an awkward situation. Do they trade him or not? If the Blue Jackets do trade him, don’t be surprised if the Tampa Bay Lightning are the ones who wind up getting him.

The Bolts are a great fit for Panarin and Panarin is a great fit for them. They will certainly have competition from the Nashville Predators and potentially the New York Islanders, but the Lightning have a trump card.

The Package

Tampa’s trump card is what they can offer the Blue Jackets. Columbus will reportedly pursue a roster player who can help them. J.T. Miller is a perfect candidate. The Lightning could trade him and a first-round pick (either 2019 or 2020, depending on if they owe the New York Rangers an extra first-round pick for winning the Stanley Cup) to the Blue Jackets. Not many teams could beat that offer if Columbus wants a roster player in the trade.

Getting Miller’s contract off the books would be a blessing for the Lightning. It has nothing to do with his production. Miller’s a darn fine complementary player, as he has 28 points in 44 games this season. He’s also under contract for a long time, as he has four years left after this year with a $5.25 million annual cap hit.

Miller’s contract, however, is an issue. The Lightning currently have 16 players signed for next season. None of them are Brayden Point or Anton Stralman. They’ll need to add at least two forwards and two defensemen, plus at least one extra player (likely two). And the Lightning will have under $10 million of cap space to do that with.

The Lightning would probably like to clear some cap space to ensure they could squeeze in someone like Panarin or Erik Karlsson. Buying out Ryan Callahan’s deal is an option. Combined with that buyout, trading Miller would open up over $8 million. That would give them nearly $20 million of cap space.

What Would Panarin Bring To The Lightning

Panarin would give the Lightning even more depth than they already have. He would likely join Tampa’s top forward line, flanking center Steven Stamkos and right wing Yanni Gourde. Of course, Panarin would be a great fit with Point and the second forward line as well.

Regardless of where in the lineup he plays, he’d give that line an elite level talent. With Panarin, their top six would have no fewer than three top-notch players (Panarin, Nikita Kucherov, and Point), plus an additional All-Star in Stamkos. Good luck stopping that group of guys.

So What’s The Holdup?

Now, trading for him would be risky. The Lightning would basically be going all-in for this season. But getting rid of Miller’s contract would give Tampa something they haven’t had much of in recent years – financial flexibility. Even without Miller, the Lightning would still have an amazing team capable of winning the Stanley Cup. Especially if they can sign Panarin or Karlsson.

That said, he’s not the kind of player you should trade for a rental without pondering the potential ramifications. Players like Miller aren’t easy to replace, even for an organization as well-run and deep as the Lightning. Getting rid of him to maybe sign Panarin or Karlsson would be bold.

But the Lightning didn’t get where they are today by playing it safe. Remember, they traded for Ryan McDonagh and Miller less than a year ago. Reportedly, the Lightning were close to getting John Tavares and Karlsson last summer.

Tampa is a team who has been and should be willing to take risks. Panarin is the type of player who could truly make an impact on the Lightning. They would be negligent if they didn’t at least try to add another elite talent to their roster. Even if it is just for a few months.