GATINEAU — Artemi Panarin has been traded for the second time this season and for the third time in the same year. This time, he will find a new home in Nepean after GM Rodrigue Domingo-Bah struck a blockbuster deal with the Gatineau Draveurs on Monday night.
Here are the full details of the trade:
While Panarin is the best player involved in the transaction, Gatineau gets a good haul in return. The main piece going back to GM Frank Lacasse is Leafs goaltender Fredrik Andersen, who will serve as his 1 goalie and who will in all likelihood be kept at the end of the season. There was a general understanding that the Murray/Hart tandem wasn’t going cut it for the Draveurs this year, but by way of this deal, they’ve duly addressed their goaltending issue. They also land Bruins rearguard Torey Krug as a rental player in the deal. Krug has had a marvelous season and promises to be a key contributor for the remainder of the 2019-20 campaign, especially being a key figure on that lethal Bruins top powerplay unit.
The Draveurs also dish a 4th round pick in the deal and get back a 12th. Some have questioned this particular component of the deal because Lacasse was already giving up a top-tier keeper in Panarin.
In sum, Gatineau gets their keeper goalie and a premium player as a rental for the remainder of the season. They are without a doubt better off in the short term but will they regret letting go of the Russian forward down the road?
The Breadman, ranked #20 in the league this season and #4 in the last month, was acquired by Lacasse earlier this season in a trade that sent Kris Letang to Valleyfield, among other pieces.
While his tenure in Gatineau was short-lived, he has lived up to expectations so far. He will now bring his elite play and high offensive upside to the Napalm and join forces with the likes of Sebastian Aho, Johnny Gaudreau and fellow Russian Evgeny Kuznetsov. Panarin promises to be an elite keeper for the years to come as he just signed a league-max 8 year contract with the New York Rangers this past summer.
Nepean also acquires young Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Carter Hart in the deal, who will serve as Jordan Binnington’s backup for the rest of the season. There is no intention from GM Domingo to keep Hart beyond this season, however.
GHL GAZETTE 