Trocheck and Carter reject.

no thanks!

Trochek says yes, please no Carter

Chicago declines

Breadman isn't waiving to play in Chicago and Hawks can't decline that trade fast enough anyway.

You're probably right re: level of interest of both Bread and Chi for a reunion but for whatever reason keep coming back to it as something I could see happening because:

From Chi's perspective:

Could think it benefits Bedard's development to play with someone who is a current star like Panarin (I do like the Corey Perry addition but also because Bread is still currently one of the top 10 or so wingers in hockey give or take) and probably gives Chi the best chance at playoffs given the lack of comperable talent available at least in this free agent class. There 2 competing schools of thought I see as to how to best develop generational players: 1) put them with kids and let them grow and continue to stock-pile and keep cap and draft capital available and flexible so in 3-4 years time when about to enter prime you can put together the best possible team for that run (risk with this is Bedard developing bad habits on and off the ice from playing many games that probably will not matter and that the prospects you expect to be building around don’t develop the way you are hoping) or 2) surround them with enough talent to where you put them a situation where they play as many meaningful games and are in a winning culture as early as possible.

Obviously don't think its strictly 1 or the other and its more of a sliding scale as to how prioritize team building.

Do think Panarin is probably the only way Chicago acquires the type of top end talent needed to actually try to make a run at the playoffs given the lack of it in this free agent class and the assets you would need to give up for anyone else comparable.

Having Panarin there may also help deflect some of the attention away from Bedard if he isn’t a rocket out of the gate.

Also, strictly financials, probably good marketing move to bring in someone like Panarin who was key part of 2015 and is a brand name star for the casual fan who probably, although it was time, it still sucks it being the end for the Kane/Toews era


From Panarin’s perspective:


He is just not a fit on NYR and there have been loud whispers the organization is not happy with him and his level of compete. Drury strikes me as being someone who wants to change the culture of NYR away from what he (and presumably Sather who has Dolan’s full trust and authority) viewed as the team getting too soft under Gorton/JD. Panarin is the exact opposite of a player Drury values and could see Drury thinking Panarin is undermining his efforts to change the team culture.

I am sure there have been some stern talks between Panarin and Drury about this very issue and I am sure the #1 thing Drury sought to find in a new coach was someone who would be able to get through to Panarin to get him to buy into the system. I imagine, short of winning a cup, Drury will evaluate Laviolette's success based on primarily: 1) how well the kids develop and 2) how well he gets the team to buy into playing his forechecking system.


In the past (especially when you could do it to bury the cap hit), NYR was never been afraid to send a player to the minors no matter how large the contract was (see Wade Redden or Kaspuritus as examples) because Dolan gives Sather carte Blanche. If Drury feels he has carte blanche (which he probably does with his ECF run last year and this type of conduct being consistent with the M.O. of the organizational leaders Dolan has personally trusted in the past) wouldn’t shock me to see NYR bench Panarin and order him to stay away from the team (akin to TDA—although very different circumstances there) in order to have Panarin more open to the idea of expanding the list of teams he would be willing to go to.

Why not go to Chicago with minimal expectations (Chicago isn’t expected to win with or without Panarin although having Panarin definitely helps) and enjoy playing in a place where I imagine he will be loved no matter what he accomplishes from herein out does b/c of his role in ’15. Why not go somewhere where he will play his preferred position, will get to say whoever he wants to play with, and the only measure of his success being whether the generational talent, who is as cant miss as there is, does in fact not miss. Chicago is also one of the few cities that can offer the upscale lifestyle NYC does which clearly appealed to Panarin in FA.

Also, if Chicago were to make a run w/in these next 3 years they have the ability to acquire the talent needed to do so at any point with cap flexibility and a ton of draft capital whereas NYR, which I am sure Panarin probably knows, is pretty much set and there arent going to be massive overhalls anytime soon resulting in a better team in the immediate future given lack of cap and draft capital.

Panarin didn't shave his head for any other reason than to change his playoff mojo w/ the Rangers. He's not waiving. Hawks now have Hall to play w/ Bedard. Skilled winger who plays w/ speed - the way the Hawks want to play. Former first overall pick. Can help Bedard deal w/ that pressure. And Hawks do not have ANY playoff aspirations this year or next just because they landed Bedard. Their approach will be much closer to your scenario #1 than your scenario #2. Despite your very detailed perspective of why this works, Hawks would not be interested.