The Chicago Blackhawks brought Patrick Kane back on a deal that immediately turned heads: two years at an $8 million AAV.
For Chicago, it’s a reunion with the player who will always be tied to the franchise. Kane spent 2007-2008 through 2022-23 with the Blackhawks, and his career numbers still jump off the page: 508 goals and 1,400 points. He also spent 19 games with the New York Rangers in the 2022-23 season, and most recently was with the Detroit Red Wings, where he remained a productive scorer when healthy and averaged around 20 goals.
But the contract is the part that stands out. Kane is 37, and the source material makes clear that his health was an issue in Detroit. Even with his track record as one of the greatest American players ever, the criticism here is simple: Chicago is rebuilding, and $8 million a year is a steep price for a veteran at this stage.
That’s especially true in a Central Division loaded with strong teams. The idea of spending that kind of money on a fragile older player, rather than putting it toward younger talent with more upside, is what makes the move look so questionable in this telling.
The contrast with Utah’s offseason is part of the backdrop too. While the Mammoth can look at this and see a rival potentially stepping out of contention, Chicago’s approach is being framed as a costly misstep.
Maybe Kane still has enough left to justify the deal. But for a rebuilding team, paying that much for a veteran comes off as a strange bet.
In Other News...
Ryan Smith Made A Surprising Call With Those Golden Knights Jerseys
During the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Utah Mammoth found a clever way to turn old loyalties into new ones, letting fans trade in Vegas Golden Knights jerseys for Mammoth gear. It was the kind of promotion designed to do two things at once: build a fan base in a new market while acknowledging the complicated hockey geography that came before it, when Utah had also been part of the Golden Knights territory.
Ryan Smiths move added another layer to the idea, since the jerseys collected in the swap were not simply tucked away after the promotion. The effort fit neatly with the Mammoths larger push to establish themselves in Utah without needlessly antagonizing a neighboring franchise, and it left the team with a feel-good gesture that still carried a little edge for anyone watching the market shifts closely. [Read more 🡒]