For a player passed over in the NHL Draft, Panarin sure made a quick impact on the League.

He signed as a free agent with the Chicago Blackhawks on May 1, 2015, after a successful career in the Kontinental Hockey League, and thrived on a forward line with fellow Russian Artem Anisimov and Patrick Kane. Panarin finished with 30 goals and 77 points (tied for ninth in the NHL) and won the Calder Trophy as the League's top rookie.

It was not the first time Panarin had excelled on North American ice. At the 2011 World Junior Championship, hosted by the United States, Russia trailed Canada 3-0 after two periods of the gold-medal game, but Panarin scored 2:33 into the third period to begin his team's comeback. Russia scored two more goals to tie it, and with 4:38 remaining, Panarin scored the game-winner in Russia's 5-3 win.

Panarin played seven seasons in the KHL, and went out with a memorable season in 2014-15. He had 26 goals and 62 points in 54 games, then had 20 points in 20 playoff games to help SKA St. Petersburg win the Gagarin Cup. He was named to the 2014-15 KHL First All-Star Team. He followed up that performance by scoring five goals and 10 points in 10 games for Russia, which won a silver medal at the 2015 World Championship.

Panarin made an instant impact with the Blackhawks. He scored in his NHL debut Oct. 7, 2015, beating New York Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist, and had 21 points in his first 19 games. His first NHL hat trick also came against the Rangers, on Feb. 17, 2016.

Panarin had seven points in seven Stanley Cup Playoff games, scoring his first NHL postseason goal April 15, 2016, against the St. Louis Blues. He was named to the NHL All-Rookie Team and won the 2015-16 Kharlamov Trophy, awarded by the Russian Hockey Hall of Fame to the best Russian NHL player.