Chicago Blackhawks' Panik defying the odds

Nine-and-a-half months ago, the Chicago Blackhawks and the Toronto Maple Leafs announced a trade that barely made a ripple of news across the NHL:

Blackhawks acquire Richard Panik from Toronto for Jeremy Morin.

Panik and Morin were two players with very similar storylines - veterans with plenty of NHL experience, both of whom were toiling away in the AHL.

While Morin is now in Tampa Bay's minor-league system, Panik is skating on the Hawks' top line with Jonathan Toews and has become a household name among the team's fans.

"He's come a long way obviously," said Hawks general manager Stan Bowman. "Probably can't say we expected him to be on the top line, although we didn't really set expectations. We had hoped that he might be able to reach some of his potential."

He's certainly doing that and has turned that minor ripple into a mighty wave for the Blackhawks.

The 6-foot-1, 208-pound Panik gives the Hawks everything they want in a linemate for Jonathan Toews.

Big body. Skates well. Big shot. Defensively responsible.

And, as Bowman pointed out, he's absolutely fearless.

"Some guys that have his skill set … sometimes (they) don't really make contact," Bowman said. "Maybe they shy away from it. He's not afraid at all to use his size to his advantage.

"So we like that. We don't have a lot of big forwards. … Of the guys we're going to play on our top nine, he's probably our most physical guy."

Panik was drafted in the second round by Tampa Bay in 2009 and played in 75 games for the Lightning from 2012-14. Toronto picked him up on Oct. 9, 2014, and he scored 11 goals with 6 assists in 76 games with the Maple Leafs in 2014-15.

Last season Mike Babcock took over as coach in Toronto, and with the regime change Panik was demoted to the Marlies, the team's AHL franchise.

Then, on Jan. 3, Bowman decided to take a chance on a player he'd had his eye on for some time.

"We've always liked him, going back to when he was drafted," Bowman said. "He was a pretty highly regarded player and a lot of talent. It just never really came together for him."

Said Panik: "My biggest weakness was to be consistent, so that's what I'm trying to focus on."

Panik didn't get off to the fastest of starts with the Hawks, oversleeping a morning skate in Tampa Bay, of all places. He was scratched for that night's game, but the slip-up set off an alarm bell and helped to set Panik on the right path.

After scoring 6 goals in 30 regular-season games, Panik really showed up in the Hawks' seven-game playoff series loss to the Blues. He registered 3 assists, the biggest coming on Patrick Kane's Game 5 double-OT winner at St. Louis.

As this season dawned, Panik - who signed a one-year, $875,000 contract in mid-June - was penciled in to play next to Toews. Thanks to a strong training camp and a blazing start to the regular season that included a hat trick in a victory over Nashville in Game 3, coach Joel Quenneville has been able to use permanent marker when it comes to Panik playing on the top line.

"The other night when he scored 3 goals, he wasn't just scoring - he was skating well, he was running guys over, he was using his body, he was creating space," Toews said. "If he can bring that type of performance every night, then look out.

"He's going to be one of the best of the league. He's got that raw ability, for sure."

Saturday, Panik will get to lace up the skates against Toronto, the team that gave up on him. He holds no grudges, though, and says it's "just another game."

Perhaps. But Panik has become much more than just another player for Quenneville and the Hawks.

"As we got toward the end of last year I think we saw what he could become," Bowman said. "We needed someone to step up this year; we have some openings. …

"Give him credit. He worked hard and he's capitalized on the opportunity."