Team: 2020-21 Chicago Blackhawks

Initial Creation Date: Oct. 29, 2020

Published: Oct. 30, 2020

Salary Cap Mode: Basic

Here's the part VIII of that series. The goal is basically to see where each team would currently stand after reversing one bad or questionable trade, without reversing all the subsequent moves. Excuse me in advance for my grammar and syntax errors, feel free to correct me if needed.

The trade : Chicago Blackhawks Artemi Panarin and Tyler Motte and round 6 pick in the 2017 draft (Jonathan Davidsson) to Columbus Blue Jackets for Anton Forsberg, Brandon Saad and round 5 pick in the 2018 draft (Mike Callahan).

The context : The Blackhawks were still a powerhouse after winning three cups in five years with the same core. Russian import Artemi Panarin was added to that core after winning the Stanley Cup in 2015, winning the Calder the same year. However, due to their salary cap issues, Chicago GM Stan Bowman traded Panarin, mainly because he was set to be an unrestricted free agent at the end of his contract.

CHI's side : They acquired fan-favorite Brandon Saad, who was crucial in their 2013 and 2015 Stanley Cup wins. Anton Forsberg went on to play an handful games as a Blackhawk. Now, the current roster below looks far better with Panarin. They'd have a lethal top 6. Even if the defensive core and the goaltending look relatively weak, one of their offensive piece could be moved to fill those needs.

CBJ's side : The Jackets landed an offensive threat in Panarin, something they had been lacking since Rick Nash's departure, and a decent bottom 6 player in Tyler Motte, who was dealt to the Canucks shortly after. In 2019, after posting career-highs in both assists (59) and points (87) to date, Panarin and the Jackets squeaked into the postseason as the Eastern Conference’s second wild-card team, and eventually swept the Tampa Bay Lightning who were coming off one of the best regular seasons in the history of the game. Artemi Panarin left in free agency, but surely the Jackets don't regret doing that trade, as the success they had was largely due to Panarin and it's uncertain if they could have went this far with Brandon Saad.

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