BLACKHAWKS ON THE MONEY
Rookie Panarin delivers the NHL’s biggest bang for the buck,
Where would the Chicago Blackhawks be without Artemi Panarin?
Last summer, like every other time they’ve won the Stanley Cup in the salary cap era, they had to get rid of perfectly good players with perfectly honest contracts because they could no longer afford them.
They have become a team of haves and have-nots — eight players earn $4 million or more than 12 earn less than $1 million, with a handful in between (all dollar figures U.S.).
The difference between winning and losing is often what the havenots do.
Panarin was a free-agent pickup from the Kontinental Hockey League. General manager Stan Bowman signed him to a two-year deal at $812,500 per season.
Panarin meshed instantly with Art Ross Trophy winner Patrick Kane. He finished in the top 10 in league scoring, might beat out Connor McDavid for rookie of the year and, according to a Toronto Star analysis of salaries and points, is the best bargain in the NHL. The young forward finished with 30 goals and 47 assists, which works out to a bargain-basement $10,552 a point.
“It’s a credit to Panarin for being able to make that contribution, and our team wouldn’t be where we are without him,” Bowman said on an in-house podcast. “He’s come in and made a huge difference.”
Bowman is widely praised for building, dismantling and rebuilding while keeping his team ultra-competitive with smart signings.
“It’s hugely important,” said former NHL GM Neil Smith, now a TV analyst. “You can’t always hit a home run with veteran free agents. It’s important you find diamonds in the rough that you don’t have to pay (a lot).
“That’s why you see so many young players getting a chance now. They’re cheaper, and teams have to give them a chance because they have to fit everybody in.”
Bowman has made mistakes. Bryan Bickell earned $4 million for a year spent mostly in the minors. He played 25 NHL games and contrib- uted two assists — or a whopping $2 million a point. Panarin’s output helped the Blackhawks overcome Bickell’s salary black hole.
But there is a hidden surcharge — a big one. By finishing in the top 10 in the scoring race and playing a full season in the NHL, he’ll collect about $2.3 million worth of bonuses. That money will count against Chicago’s salary cap next season.
That amount alone could cost a player or two his job in Chicago, and force Bowman once again to go bargain hunting in the free-agent pool.