Bowman: Panarin's 'done something very special this year'

When KHL free agent Artemi Panarin signed with the Chicago Blackhawks last spring, few people expected him to have the impact he's had for the reigning Stanley Cup champions.

That impact currently amounts to 74 points in 79 games, good for 10th in the NHL.

The chemistry the rookie has developed with NHL point leader Patrick Kane has set the league ablaze, and Panarin's due for a raise because of it.

If he remains in the top 10 in points at season's end, Panarin will be awarded a bonus of $1.725 million. He could earn even more, thanks to other bonuses outlined in his contract. Although the Blackhawks are perennially stifled by salary-cap restrictions, general manager Stan Bowman couldn't be happier with Panarin's production.

"I think it's fantastic for Panarin to have achieved what he has; I don't look at it as a negative at all," Bowman said. "What he's done here as a rookie - I don't want to say it's unprecedented, but it hasn't happened in a long, long time. For a guy in his first year in the league to finish in the top 10 in scoring, that's why those bonuses are rarely earned, and he's done something very special this year."

Panarin, 24, is a strong candidate for the Calder Trophy as the league's top rookie, an award that hasn't been won by a Blackhawk since Kane took it home in 2008.