Blue Jackets leading scorer Artemi Panarin has fired his agent, Dan Milstein, in favor of Paul Theofanous, the agent of teammate Sergei Bobrovsky, and said he will test free agency this summer.

Panarin issued a statement Friday that read, "I have decided to hire Paul Theofanous as my agent. He is very experienced, and I'm confident he will serve my interests best going forward."

Contract talks between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Auston Matthews on a long-term deal are expected to pick up, according to a report.

"I think it's just letting (Toronto general manager) Kyle (Dubas) and management handle that with my agent, find something that works," the center said. "There's no secret there's a (salary) cap, so it's just trying to find something that works for both sides and obviously helps out with that whole situation. I'll leave it to them and just continue to play hockey and once it's done, it's done and then that will be it and move on."

Matthews is eligible to sign an eight-year contract, but the report claimed a five- or six-year contract is more likely.