The other thing with Panarin fundamentally changed the way this team plays is he slows things down. He's got people around him slowing the game down. The rest of the league is increasing their quickness with the puck. It's not even about pure skating speed. It's just doing everything fast. You've got this guy who likes to get the puck from the defenseman, survey the ice, maybe make that patented rink-wide pass, maybe carry it up yourself because you're uber-talented that only you could do that. Everyone else gets enamored by it. Then everyone starts coiling back before heading up ice. The other team has time to pick out their favorite garter belt and stockings before they actually have to start defending your rush. Holy shit i can count to 10 while they pass it back behind the net to being going up ice and make that first pass. Or the forward comes back from the neutral zone because they cheated for a rush and does a huge circle curl to accept the first pass like at 50% of NHL speed. It's not fooling anyone. And after all that, it's all perimeter shit in the offensive zone. Meanwhile, the guys who actually try to play hockey are your bottom 6 guys who are just borderline good enough at times. It's no fun anymore.