Look, if you have highly talented players, at some point you have to find out if they have the "right stuff."
It's extremely unlike we sign either Panarin or EK, the money will be the same everywhere ($11-12M) so it comes down to personal preference.
What 2C is available that we can obtain without stripping our farm system? Now if you can get one with a year or two left on their contract for a 2nd and 2nd tier prospect sure, but not our 1st rd pick or a top prospect.
Patrick had 22 ES points his rookie year, will probably finish with 30 this year. Odds are he'll be 40+ next year.
Next season Patrick and Frost will be 21, it's time to ride them. It's not like hoping 21 year old Rubtsov will be healthy and take a big step up, these two are top talents who've performed - Patrick had two injury marred seasons but is ready to breakout, Frost has excelled.
One reason I'm confident in Patrick is he plays a smart, two way game, he has top notch intangibles, these guys may take a little longer to develop, but they also have higher floors.
Farabee is more of a question, but mostly physical maturity, he was playing a fundamentally sound game at 18, TK still isn't fundamentally sound after 3 NHL seasons - some guys just have an innate feel for the game. Farabee plays in the dirty areas, so he needs enough strength to be effective. You can see the difference strength has made in Lindblom this year, but Farabee can compensate with speed and skill in a way Lindblom couldn't.
I'd rather add a veteran center who can play 3C or 4C, as insurance for Frost, because with Laughton and Hartman on wings, that could be your 3rd or 4th line. And it won't surprise me if one of LHV centers forces his way into the picture by January.
