Patrick Kane has put the Blackhawks back in the conversation.
After three straight free agency cycles in which a Chicago reunion never really made sense, Wednesday morning brought a different tone. Pierre LeBrun reported that Detroit remains an option, but Kane is now testing the waters of free agency.
That doesn’t make a return to Chicago likely. It does, however, crack the door open.
There are already whispers that Kane could land in Buffalo or Toronto, and both of those fits make plenty of sense. Still, the Blackhawks are at least worth a look this time around.
Chicago added Bowen Byram and a few grinder veterans over the past week, but the roster still has a glaring opening on the top line alongside Connor Bedard and maybe Roman Kantserov. Kane would instantly solve part of that problem, giving Bedard a potential linemate to build chemistry with while also bringing leadership to a young room.
It would also be the kind of move that gets people talking for all the right reasons. For a fan base that hasn’t loved every move GM Kyle Davidson has made, especially around the Byram gamble, bringing Kane back would be an easy sell.
And it wouldn’t necessarily break the bank. Chicago showed Wednesday, with the signings of Ian Cole and Cole Smith, that it’s not operating right up against the cap, and Kane’s previous cap hit was $3 million.
A similar number would not be out of the question.
But the fit isn’t perfect, and that matters.
Kane wants another Stanley Cup, and even if the Blackhawks have playoff hopes this season, they’re still a few years away from being real Cup contenders. A contender like his hometown Sabres feels more in line with what he’s chasing.
There’s also the matter of what Chicago has been building internally. The organization has spent years trying to grow its leadership group from the ground up, beginning with Bedard, who should be named captain this fall.
Adding Kane would alter that structure in a major way, no matter how carefully it’s framed.
So yes, the possibility is there. And yes, it would make sense on some level. But the bigger picture still suggests a Kane return would create more complications than solutions over time.
That’s why, even with the door now open, a Blackhawks signing would still qualify as a surprise. A pleasant one, sure. But a surprise all the same.
In Other News...
Blackhawks Still Have One Huge Connor Bedard Problem To Solve
The Blackhawks still have a familiar sort of puzzle hanging over their summer plans: figuring out who gets to skate with Connor Bedard on the top line. General manager Kyle Davidson said the team has several internal options in the mix, with Nick Lardis, Anton Frondell, Frank Nazar, Oliver Moore, Ryan Greene and Roman Kantserov all part of the conversation as Chicago looks for the right fit around its franchise center.
For a team that was expected to add more scoring help outside the organization, the uncertainty is notable. Instead, Chicago appears headed into training camp with the answer still to be earned, and Davidson made clear the decision will be shaped by what happens there and in the early games, leaving Bedards most important forward partner very much unresolved for now. [Read more 🡒]
Blackhawks Still Have One Unsettling Question On Ethan Del Mastro
Ethan Del Mastros season left the Blackhawks with a fairly clear read on where his development stands, even if the longer-term answer is still unsettled. The defenseman spent most of the year in the AHL, where he put up 18 points in 45 games, and he also got a look in 19 NHL games that did not move the needle much either way for Chicago.
The Blackhawks did extend a qualifying offer, so the door remains open for Del Mastro to come back and try to carve out a larger role. Thats really the crux of it for a rebuilding team: he may get another season to show he can take a step, but if the progress does not come, Chicago will have a difficult decision to make on where he fits in the organizations plans. [Read more 🡒]