FF Panarin Review

Alright so this is my first time doing this sorta thing, tips for future reviews would be dope, since I would like to continue to do these so if anyone has any players they'd like to see let me know.

Line: FF Panarin-Datsyuk-Kane

Skating 9/10 Panarin is what you would expect him to be on his skates, very very fast. What impresses me is his agility, he can stop and start well, he does not lose many races to the puck. I was surprised that his balance was pretty decent, I thought he would be a rag doll similar to Gaudreau, but when he gets bumped he doesn't lose the puck that often, he is still susceptible big hits if you miss time a move, however. It is ideal to keep him fresh, he fatigues fairly quickly and becomes much slower.

Shooting 9/10 Panarin can rip the puck, wristshot, slapshot, one-timer you name it. He is dangerous from all scoring area when he has possession. He is pretty good at finding open positioning where he is able to pound home a pass. He's fairly accurate at picking his corners, but once again, at low energy I found him to miss open shots that he would normally bury.

Hands 9.5/10 Panarin can make moves at high speeds without losing the puck. He has fairly good control when making moves and can easily beat a defender if timed properly. Another thing that surprised me was his passing ability. I felt that he could thread passes just as well as Kane and Datsyuk, at times they felt like the Globetrotters on the ice. As with his shooting and skating, his energy levels dictate how well he can make moves, if he gets stuck on the ice he loses control of the puck much more often.

Physical 7/10 Panarin is not the player to go out there and make a big hit, but he's able to take checks without getting obliterated. Unless he's going up against the likes of Chara, Byfuglien, Myers, Scott, etc. expect him to stay on his feet, if they can even touch him.

Defense 7.5/10 Panarin is not as dreadful defensively as you would think. By no means would I put him on a PK unit, but his poke check is fairly solid and able to connect with some consistency, and he does not take too many penalties.

Overall... Now I've never been one to use special cards, I've used 5 in all my years playing HUT. I've always been a fan of running teams of only base cards. Panarin is what will break that for me this year. I remember a post a while ago talking about how there are so many options for the RW in terms of smaller speedier forwards, Kane, Tarasenko, Gaudreau, Kuzy, etc. than for LW where there was only Seguin and Kessel. Well FF Panarin helps in balancing that disparity, he is an exceptional card, game breaker whenever he is on the ice, at around 350k he is well worth the price, would highly recommend.