CSN Chicago · Dec 29, 2016
After locking up Artemi Panarin, what's next for Blackhawks?
In The Loop: Boyle on Panarin's extension with BlackhawksArtemi Panarin and the Blackhawks have agreed to terms on a two-year, $12 million contract extension, a source confirmed to Insider Tracey Myers, and is expected to be announced Thursday.
The hard part is over with. But the real work is just beginning.
First off, credit both sides for compromising here.
Panarin, who was set to become a restricted free agent on July 1, is 25 years old and at the prime of his NHL career. He absolutely would have earned more money and term on the open market, but accepted a bridge deal because of his desire to stay with the cap-strapped Blackhawks.