A quick scan of the media landscape will give one the impression that the Blue Jackets got the better end of Friday's blockbuster trade with Chicago.
The "hockey trade" cliche gets thrown around often, and it simply means that both clubs involved get a player they wanted. No salary dump, no futures involved...just a straight-up swap that benefits both parties.
Trading Brandon Saad for Artemi Panarin falls into that category, but one prominent NHL insider believes Columbus comes out ahead.
John Shannon of Sportsnet (Canada) has been around the league for a long time. He's a fixture on the network's flagship hockey programming and has covered the NHL for decades, so yes, he's seen and heard a thing or two. He appeared on Tim & Sid shortly after news of the trade broke and offered an intriguing analysis:
"This is a team (Columbus) that found themselves lacking some goal scoring in that Pittsburgh series," Shannon said. "In many ways, (Panarin) is an All-Star, we know that, but one of the top 10 players in the National Hockey League. If you get the best, you usually win the trade."
The penultimate sentence is an eye-catcher. Shannon believes Panarin, who has racked up over 100 points in his first two NHL seasons, is one of the 10 best players in the league. The Blue Jackets are quite high on him, as well, in large part because of his high-end skill set and ability to beat opponents 1-on-1.
Welcome to #CBJ, @72Artemi! pic.twitter.com/Ab0tzcxVCK
— ColumbusBlueJackets (@BlueJacketsNHL) June 23, 2017
Now, not everyone is going to agree with Shannon's analysis, but it gives fans some insight into how highly regarded Panarin is around the NHL.
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