Former Chicago Blackhawks star Artemi Panarin reportedly set to leave the NHL: Per insider

The New York Rangers don't know what to expect from forward Artemi Panarin, who is playing in the last year of his current contract he signed in 2019, and they don't appear to be any closer to a new extension.

Per multiple reports, Panarin allegedly has no interest in accepting a contract discount with the Rangers and wants to cash in yet again, wherever it is.

The Rangers are once again off to an inconsistent start, and there has also been speculation about whether the Rangers could choose to trade Panarin at the trade deadline if they're out of the playoff hunt rather than lose him over the summer in free agency for nothing in return.

But per a new report from his fellow Russian and former Rangers forward Alexei Kovalev, Panarin could consider returning home to Russia rather than staying in the NHL.

Panarin was never drafted into the NHL and signed an entry-level contract with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2015, not long after they won their third Stanley Cup since 2010, which is also the most recent to date in their history.

He won the Calder Trophy as the NHL's best rookie in his first year in the NHL and had another strong year in 2016-17 but was traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets in what most Blackhawks fans consider among the worst deals in team history.

He played two years in a Blue Jackets sweater before signing a seven year contract with the Rangers in 2019 with an AAV (average annual value) of $11,642,857.