The lightning-fast, high-scoring pair of Patrick Kane and Artemi Panarin might be moved around during the preseason. Although Kane and Panarin make an excellent combo, head coach Joel Quenneville needs to experiment with different pairings in order to determine if the wingers can spread that momentum throughout the team.
Panarin has been able to shine brightest when accompanied by Kane, Artem Anisimov and, occasionally Jonathan Toews. The Blackhawks are in a situation where they need to determine if Panarin’s success is derived from being matched up with star players before committing to an expensive contract extension for the 2016 Calder Trophy winning rookie.
Quenneville told NBC Sports: “The chemistry among the two of them is special. They’ll always (have) some shifts together. Whether (or not) they will be permanently together is something we’ll evaluate.”
