Panarin or Saad?

[needle]

***** Saad. I'll go a cappella.

 

[KanetoToews2883]

You'd still take Kane over Hossa, right?

I would.

But I'm not sure Panarin is Kane, the shot isn't there yet. Kane's shot is leaps and bounds ahead of Panarin's. (Although Panarin's wrister is good).

 

[BobbyJet]

I would.

But I'm not sure Panarin is Kane, the shot isn't there yet. Kane's shot is leaps and bounds ahead of Panarin's. (Although Panarin's wrister is good).

I wouldn't say that.... but yeah, Kaner is sniping better now than he ever has.

 

[Hawkaholic]

I would.

But I'm not sure Panarin is Kane, the shot isn't there yet. Kane's shot is leaps and bounds ahead of Panarin's. (Although Panarin's wrister is good).

And Saad isn't Hossa.

 

[Toews2Bickell]

Kane always had a sneaky good shot, but it's better now than it has ever been. He came into the league more as a playmaker. Now he's just the ultimate offensive winger and can snipe with the best and create with the best.

 

[MadhouseOnMadison]

Saad, but not by much.

Saad is proven and I'll always go with the more complete player, although Panarin has been fine in his own zone. Saad would be the better player if Panarin hit an offensive slump but as long as he's on Kane's line I'm not sure how that would happen.

 

[The Toews Era*]

it's tempting to say panarin is better by a lot but it's probably just by a little since saad put up points playing with kane too ...

i don't know how anyone can say saad is better though, yes he had great straight line speed and potted some memorable goals, but he was also noticeably bad at clears and other than strong forechecking did not offer nearly as much as panarin in terms of close control. panarin looks like he can carry a line by himself if he needs to, saad was always a very good but very clear second fiddle.

 

[The Toews Era*]

Saad made that first line weaponized in a real way. In the playoffs, that line picked it up an extra gear, mostly also because of the other players on the ice, but Saad's skating made him a threat for a breakaway seemingly every time he was on the ice.

That's not a knock on Panarin, with him Kane is off to a historic start. That newly formed line with Anisimov and Panarin looks mighty dangerous. As we all well know, the playoffs are a different breed of hockey, so it'll be interesting to see if that line still has the space it has in May as it has in November.

of course saad made the first line look good, but that is compared to garbutt or whoever they stick up there right now. when they've gone panarin/toews/hossa that line looks just as good if not better than when saad was there

 

[Eco]

Both.

No salaries would be Saad.

Salaries included would be Breadman.

 

[Gurth]

Seeing as how I always thought Saad was overrated, it's Panarin for me.

Even if they were both on elc's and we had to choose.

 

[BobbyJet]

Seeing as how I always thought Saad was overrated, it's Panarin for me.

Even if they were both on elc's and we had to choose.

Offensively, I agree, Saad was/is definitely overrated, especially in his finish, or lack thereof. But he has a lot going for him in his overall game and has been an iron man so far in his career; something that rarely gets mentioned. I'll still take Panarin every time. He's dynamic and it's only going to get better.

 

[Bubba88]

Saad is still not as good as 33 yo Hossa was. That's not talking the prime 90+ pts Hossa

 

[madgoat33]

Saad was a good player but ever since he got traded I feel like he's talked about like he was the 4th best player on the team, which just wasn't true.

 

[Blue Liner]

Offensively, I agree, Saad was/is definitely overrated, especially in his finish, or lack thereof. But he has a lot going for him in his overall game and has been an iron man so far in his career; something that rarely gets mentioned. I'll still take Panarin every time. He's dynamic and it's only going to get better.

This surprises me. Not a criticism, merely an observation.

 

[BobbyJet]

This surprises me. Not a criticism, merely an observation.

Probably surprises you because I am always looking for grit and character when it comes to player evaluation.

I agree that Saad has been overrated throughout his young career but I still think he has the potential to be much better.... but a player like Panarin doesn't come around very often. In a quarter of a season in the NHL he has convinced me to be a budding superstar. I also think he has more character than he has been given credit for (which is natural in such a short time) as well as a lot of grit for a smaller player - those characteristics will become obvious as he gets more games in.

 

[Toews2Bickell]

I agree with much of what Bobby is saying. Panarin has game breaking offensive talent. Saad got a little hyped up after last season. He's a good young player. I wouldn't even venture to say he's overpaid. But he had less points than Sharp did in the playoffs and he was playing on the lottery line where as Sharp was all over the place.

In hindsight, not signing Saad to that deal might be a blessing in disguise because that would have essentially guaranteed one of Panarin/TT would be gone. I'd rather have both of those guys over Saad in the long-run. To me, Panarin will be paid at least as much as Saad when his ELC is over. Maybe more if he continues at the close to PPG pace he's had through the first quarter of his NHL career.

 

[monochrome]

bread man trumps saad. saad's size was nice but i think panarin is more skilled. not to say that saad wasnt, but maybe i just like panarins style more. he's my favorite acquisition so far this season--not that that says much though with the players stan brought in...

 

[teeder333*]

It seems that everyone that puts on a Hawks jersey brings a certain something. Just that mystique now in the franchise. And it can last and hold for quite some time.

 

[Geoist]

You don't actually believe that do you?

Why shouldn't he believe it?

 

[Geoist]

I would take Saad

Panarin will never have his 2 way game and Saad will essentially to me be a LW version of Hossa in longrun

Idk, Panarin has looked just fine to me, defensively.

 

[tdfxman]

Probably surprises you because I am always looking for grit and character when it comes to player evaluation.

I agree that Saad has been overrated throughout his young career but I still think he has the potential to be much better.... but a player like Panarin doesn't come around very often. In a quarter of a season in the NHL he has convinced me to be a budding superstar. I also think he has more character than he has been given credit for (which is natural in such a short time) as well as a lot of grit for a smaller player - those characteristics will become obvious as he gets more games in.

This + 1000.

He can hit people, play chippy, back-check. He goes to the front, he can dangle.

I don't think it's close between a 50pt Saad now in his coming prime and Panera now. He is solid in his own zone.

EDIT: I remember one time Breadman turned it over inside the blue line and back-checked Hossa style and lifted his stick and got it back. I mean I love this guy, watch how physical he is in a non-Neanderthal kinda way.

Put me down for Penara and it's not close for me. Good player v special player.

 

[Toews2Bickell]

Idk, Panarin has looked just fine to me, defensively.

He needs to be more engaged re: defense imo. I see him floating around the d-zone a little more than I'd like at this point. But so did Kane when he first entered the league. He'll learn.

 

[vegarover]

So hard to say when Panarin has had such a small sample size compared to Saad. Obviously, if Panarin keeps up his current pace all season long, I think then it's cut and dry.

However, one could argue Kane's amazing play could be inflating Panarin's stats a bit. Granted I guess you could make the opposite argument and say Panarin and Anisimov are the driving forces behind Kane's offense.

I always liked Saad, but I never understood why sometime last fall he began being praised like he was an elite player on the NBC broadcasts. I think that fueled that belief from fans as well. I think he's a very good young player who reaped the benefits of playing alongside Toews and Hossa for 2/3 of the year. But hardly elite, or a franchise player.

 

[Salvaged Ship]

Panarin has been fine defensively. Seems to me that any young up front player with offensive skill (Pirri, Morin, Dano, now Panarin) automatically get labeled as having defensive issues while veterans that make defensive mistakes are given passes. Its like justifying Q having no patience with young players. You keep playing 4th line garbage throughout the line up just because they are supposedly more defensively responsible these young guys with talent will never grow, and those young guys growing are the only chance we have to get back to being a contender.

 

[Bubba88]

Panarin isn't bad in his own Zone. Not even the brain farts you'd expect. He is no Lehtinen or Hossa, but not bad either