Patrick Kane is set to be back in the Blackhawks’ lineup Thursday night after Chicago activated the veteran forward from injured reserve.
The Blackhawks are scheduled to host the Buffalo Sabres, and Kane’s return looked close for a while. He had been skating with the main group for the past couple of days, a strong sign he was nearing a comeback after missing the last three games with an upper-body injury.
Kane was hurt last Monday against the Colorado Avalanche, leaving that game in the second period of Chicago’s 5-2 loss. He was placed on IR afterward. Thursday marks the first game he was eligible to return, and the Blackhawks haven’t played since a 9-2 loss to the defending Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes last Saturday.
Chicago has dropped six straight with Kane sidelined.
Even in a rough season for the Blackhawks, Kane has still been one of their more productive players. The 37-year-old has one goal and eight assists for nine points in 15 games, which puts him second on the team in assists behind Connor Bedard and third in scoring behind Bedard and Roman Kantserov. He also has a minus-15 rating while averaging just over 18 minutes of ice time per game.
The Blackhawks enter at 4-13-1, sitting last in the Central Division. They are two points ahead of the Vancouver Canucks for the worst record in the NHL and 12 points back of the final Wild Card spot in the Western Conference.
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What stands out most is how little resistance the Blackhawks are offering in the areas that usually help a team survive those stretches. Friedman noted that Chicago has not been nearly physical enough, and that the club needs to tighten up its checking and overall edge if it wants to become more competitive. For a team trying to grow out of its rebuild, that kind of flaw can be just as damaging as any scoring drought. [Read more 🡒]