Panarin's performance could prove to be a major headache for the Blackhawks.

You won't hear anyone Chicago complaining publicly about the performance of 25-year-old forward Artemi Panarin this season, after all with his 16 goals and 16 assists for 29 points in 32 games, he is once again among the National Hockey League's best point producers.

However behind the scenes the performance of Panarin may be a serious cause for concern for general manager Stan Bowman and the rest of the Blackhawks organization, as Panarin is set to be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. It's no secret that the Blackhawks have very little room to maneuver against the cap, and Panarin is reportedly seeking upwards of $6 million per season on a long-term deal, and with those numbers he can certainly get that much on the open market.

The Blackhawks and Bowman were in a similar situation several years ago with forward Brandon Saad who was coming off the heels of a Stanley Cup win and who was also reportedly looking for a big money payday, we all know how that one turned out for Brandon Saad. 

That's not to say the Blackhawks will trade Panarin, they could in theory make some other moves to clearr the necessary cap space to accommodate another big money deal on their roster, but there's little doubt that they haven't at least considered the possibility of a trade should they believe there's no way to make the money work. 

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Were it any other general maanger you would hesitate to think a player the level of Panarin could be traded as he enters his prime, but after watching Stan Bowman ruthlessly dispense of Saad for the better long-term health of his team, we're not willing to put anything past the Blackhawks GM.