BREAKING NEWS: Blackhawks Trade Dick Panik For Anthony Duclair

Credit to Stan Bowman because this is a HUM DINGER!!!! Let’s not pretend that Anthony Duclair is going to come in and be an impact player for the Blackhawks. The guy has some warts, clearly. He’s been a frequent healthy scratch in Arizona for his lack of discipline, defense, and effort. That’s a recipe to get you in the basement of Joel Quenneville’s dog house real fast. However, even if Duclair never scores a goal this is a win for the Blackhawks. Dick Panik lost his game and it could very well be gone for good. That’s a problem when he is signed through next season at $2.8M per year. DuClair only makes $1.2M and he’s an RFA after this year. Extremely low risk deal for the Blackhawks. That’s an extra $1.6M to play with at the deadline for the Upgrade-over-Kempny slush fund.

With VERY high upside. Duclair is a reclamation project no doubt. But man, if the Hawks can fix him then they have a REAL talent here. Duclair really burst on the scene back in 2015 when he ripped up the World Juniors and then in his rookie year he popped in 20 goals and 44 points for the Coyotes. He has speed, he has good hands, and he can finish. The Coyotes thought they had a nice core to build around up front with Duclair and Max Domi. Then everything went to shit for Duclair. Only 5 goals last year and he’s been a frustrating player for the Coyotes so far this year.

IF the Blackhawks can get his head on straight and get a disciplined guy who competes consistently then this trade has MAJOR MAJOR upside. The Blackhawks haven’t had the best luck with trades lately. This one feels like it has the potential to be in the Barker for Leddy or the Bochenski for Versteeg category.

I’m feeling dangerous. The Blackhawks certainly didn’t get worse with this trade. I’m ready for the second half

PS: Good to have a black guy on the team again. In the Stanley Cup years…Byfuglien and Oduya. Last two year…no black guys. Duclair could be the missing piece to the puzzle. Lets do that hockey.