The young Russian that has been tearing it up for the Blackhawks, was nearly a member of the Montreal Canadiens.
With 30 goals and 47 assists in his rookie NHL season, Artemi Panarin truly burst on to the scene with the Chicago Blackhawks this season. With the way that the Montreal Canadiens season went, it seems clear that they could have used a player like him in their lineup. And sadly, it almost happened.
Marc de Foy from the Journal de Montreal reported yesterday that Marc Bergevin's assistant, Scott Mellanby, had been following Panarin since the fall of 2014.