Blackhawks' Kane 'pretty emotional' after Panarin trade

In an interview with "Hockey Central" on SportsNet on Friday, Blackhawks winger Patrick Kane said he was "pretty emotional" when he found out that Artemi Panarin had been traded to Columbus last week.

"I think I'd be sitting here lying to you if (I didn't say) my first reaction was pretty emotional," Kane said. "A little bit of disappointment too, because obviously we had that chemistry the past couple years. You want to keep building on that and it's too bad we have that success in the playoffs to even build on that even more. But as time goes on, you understand the trade and obviously you get a (heck of a) player back in Brandon Saad."

Kane, who was named MVP after racking up 106 points in 2015-16, enjoyed his best two statistical seasons with Panarin on his opposite wing. The Hawks' superstar said he'll miss the camaraderie he and Panarin enjoyed off the ice as well.

"We like to kind of goof around with each other and I think he's a great kid," Kane said. "He's going to have a great future. Sad to see him go, no doubt, especially with the chemistry that we had."