from Steve Rosenbloom of the Chicago Tribune,
If you’re talking production and value right now, the Hawks acquired the better five-on-five player in the Saad deal, but lost the Hjalmarsson trade....
The Hawks traded two players they wouldn’t be able to re-sign in two years. Hjlamarsson has two years at $4.1 million per remaining on his deal. Panarin has two years and $6 million per left on his contract.
By comparison, Saad has four years and $6 million per left on his deal and is younger than Panarin. Murphy has five years at $3.85 per remaining on his contract and at 24, he helps the Hawks move to a younger defense with some balance via the right-handed shot he brings.
The constantly salary-cap strapped Hawks needed contract certainty if they were going to make the most of this Stanley Cup window.
That’s the money part of Friday’s action. What about the actual play on the ice?
The Saad trade moves the Hawks back to weakening the second line in order to strengthen the first line.
Kane and Panarin formed one of the most dangerous combinations in the league. They knew where the other was and found each other with rink-wide passes that somehow got through. I realize Kane is incredibly talented and makes other players better, but Panarin made Kane more dangerous because his ability to convert one-timers allowed Kane to find more space.
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