NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MAY 15: Head coach Gerard Gallant of the New York Rangers and Artemi Panarin #10 celebrate a 4-3 overtime victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game Seven of the First Round of the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Madison Square Garden on May 15, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
The Chicago Blackhawks made a horribly bad trade after the 2016-17 season that set them back for years. They traded Artemi Panarin and Tyler Motte to the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for Brandon Saad, Anton Forsberg, and a fifth-round pick.
The trade was basically (for all intents and purposes) Saad for Panarin. The Blackhawks felt that they needed to bring back someone who was really good for them which makes sense. Saad is a great player and was even better back then.
