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Artemi Panarin Says He Might Head to the KHL Or Skip Next Season

If the NHL asks players to cut back their salaries, Artemi Panarin suggests he might sit out of bolt for the KHL.

Reading a recent interview with Sport.ru [requires translation] out of Russia, Artemi Panarin of the New York Rangers has dropped a few interesting comments that might force NHL teams and other players to take notice.

While the rest of the world deals financially with the pause of entertainment and sports, Panarin seems to think that the financial hit will come to players next. As of now, they’ve been paid their salaries. But, what about next season?

Panarin and others are under the impression NHL players will have to take major pay cuts. He said, “100%, they think,” when asked about the likelihood of that happening. Then he said, if pay cuts are too big, he may just sit out next season.

Ouch.

There’s been little-to-no public talk about asking players to cut back their salaries but should this pause go on and should next season be affected, it only makes sense. But, Panarin is closely going to watch and wonders how much the NHL may want to take from the players.

Too much, and Panarin won’t play. “Ahh. I think we will have less. If 40 to 60 percent, then why am I doing this at all? Then I will probably skip the next year,” he said. Even more interesting, he said that there would be a job waiting for him in the KHL and would have no issues jumping there.

Part of the issue for Panarin is taxes. In New York, he’s getting hit pretty hard. In the KHL, that tax burden is significantly less.

He noted that he’s not going to struggle either way, but wondered what the point would be of playing if the NHL decided to dip into his pockets too much? One has to wonder how many other players are thinking the same thing? If a great deal of them, the NHL could have a big problem on their hands.

Related: Sabres Possibly Ready to Trade Ristolainen?

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