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Patrick Kane

Snapshots: Kane, Talbot, Kase

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As the league begins to decompress from a busy NHL Draft with some blockbuster news, the Chicago Blackhawks are sure to be in the forefront of many discussions after being one of the most active teams on the market this week. One question that remains to be answered is how their Hall of Fame talent feels about the club’s direction. The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta confirms today that the team will reach out to winger Patrick Kane “in the very near future” to have a conversation about his future with the team.

Both Kane and Jonathan Toews each have just one year remaining on their matching contracts, both carrying a cap hit of $10.5MM. They also both have full say in what the future holds for them in the form of full no-movement clauses. If one or both do end up wanting a trade out of Chicago in order to make another championship run, it makes sense that the Blackhawks would want to know now. The highest value for them will likely be this offseason, as the risk of declining performance could lower their trade value by next year’s deadline.

  • There’s some good old-fashioned drama in the State of Hockey. Many believed the Minnesota Wild had reinforced their goaltending situation by re-signing Marc-Andre Fleury to a two-year contract yesterday, but as quotes from general manager Bill Guerin and Cam Talbot’s agent George Bazos reveal, Talbot may not be entirely happy with the team’s choice to keep Fleury around. Bazos gave a cryptic quote after meeting with Guerin during the third round of today’s draft, saying that Guerin “had a lot to think about.” Guerin countered later, reminding media that Talbot is still under contract, and said that “George can say whatever the hell he wants.” If the relationship turns sour quickly between Talbot and the Wild, it could leave them in an interesting position next season in the crease.
  • The deadline for issuing qualifying offers to restricted free agents is July 11, and the Toronto Maple Leafs haven’t made a decision on whether or not to qualify winger Ondrej Kase. Kase is eligible for arbitration, and after producing 27 points in 50 games, the award might be too rich for Toronto’s blood if Kase elects for it. Not issuing a qualifying offer to Kase wouldn’t prevent him from returning to Toronto, but it would make him an unrestricted free agent, and could sign anywhere in the league.

Central Notes: Burakovsky, Raffl, Blackhawks

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Colorado could get some help for Sunday’s sixth game against the Lightning.  Speaking with reporters today including NHL.com’s Tracey Myers, head coach Jared Bednar indicated that winger Andre Burakovsky will accompany the Avalanche to Tampa Bay and is a possibility to play in that contest.  The 27-year-old suffered what is believed to be a hand injury in the second game of the series, taking away one of their key secondary scorers.  After recording 61 points in the regular season, Burakovsky has eight in a dozen playoff contests so far.  Officially, he remains listed as day-to-day.

Elsewhere in the Central:

  • Stars GM Jim Nill recently told reporters, including Matthew DeFranks of the Dallas Morning News, that they tendered a contract offer to pending UFA winger Michael Raffl although it clearly hasn’t been accepted. The 33-year-old managed just 16 points in 76 games this season despite averaging 14:32 per game of ice time so it’s likely that offer came in below the $1.1MM he made in 2021-22.  As a depth player, it’s possible he could have an eye on returning overseas to finish off his playing career.
  • While some have speculated about the possibility of the Blackhawks moving one or both of franchise stalwarts Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews this summer, Scott Powers of The Athletic reports (subscription link) that the veterans aren’t being shopped and if they do wind up going elsewhere, it will be at their request. The idea of discussing extensions with them hasn’t been ruled out either although that isn’t expected to happen this summer as all sides want to see how things go in what’s expected to be a rebuilding year in Chicago.  Kane and Toews are each under contract through next season at a $10.5MM cap hit.

Kane And Toews Welcome To Stay Through Blackhawks Rebuild

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When then-interim general manager Kyle Davidson was officially handed the job, he made it clear that the Chicago Blackhawks were headed for a rebuild. He then quickly doubled down on those plans by trading away up-and-coming forward Brandon Hagel for a package of first-round picks and pro-ready prospects. Davidson has also discussed trades for fellow young forwards Dominik Kubalik and Dylan Strome and has been less than committal about re-signing veteran defenseman Calvin de Haan, who would like to return.

The situation has raised many questions about the futures of Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews. The duo have long been the franchise cornerstones of the Blackhawks and will see their numbers in the rafters of the United Center one day. However, they each have just one season remaining on their current contracts and if they want to compete for yet another Stanley Cup before their careers come to a close, they will likely have to leave Chicago for the first time in their careers.  Toews has already been vocal about his disappointment with the direction of the club, moving into a rebuild while there is still some veteran talent on the roster, and has questioned whether he would go elsewhere to end his career. Meanwhile, Kane is still one of the most dangerous offensive players in the NHL, fresh off of a 92-point season. If he does not plan to re-sign with the Blackhawks, the team can charge a king’s ransom to trade him this off-season.

Yet, it seems that Davidson’s rebuild plan may not require that his future Hall of Famers go elsewhere. Speaking to the media today, Davidson responded to a question from the Chicago Sun-Times’ Ben Pope about how Toews and Kane fit into the Blackhawks’ future:

There’s definitely a place for Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane moving forward. I don’t think there’s any question about that. What their roles are and how they fit into things, that’s part of the dialogue that we’re having. [We’re] being very honest about with how we see their role and what we need out of them moving forward. They’re fully aware of what those [views] are, and there’s going to be questions and further conversations to really firm that up because it is something that isn’t… solved with one conversation or understood with one conversation.

Having them around is something we’re never going to shy away from because they can show this next wave of players how it’s done. And you never know, maybe they could be part of (this) when we’re back to having success. We don’t know the timeline of any of that yet, but [with their] amount of experience, the understanding of what it takes to be a good professional, what it takes to develop into a high quality professional and then win at the professional level, that experience and understanding is invaluable, so absolutely there is a place for 19 and 88 with the Blackhawks in any form that they wish.

Davidson certainly didn’t parse his words. He understands that the situation may not be ideal for his iconic veterans, but if they are willing to stick it out then he is willing to keep them. If Toews and Kane want to re-sign with the Blackhawks then that is what will happen. It’s now on the players to make it clear in their conversations with the team what their thoughts are on the future. Will they stay on as the living embodiment of what Chicago wants out of the young stars of their rebuild? Or will they ask to be traded and chase another title while they still can? While the two side have plenty of talking to do, we may know sooner rather than later what the future will bring.

Latest On Patrick Kane

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With the trade of up-and-coming star Brandon Hagel and the recent comments of longtime captain Jonathan Toews, the direction new Blackhawks GM Kyle Davidson is taking the franchise is a bold one and a polarizing one. He has embraced the term “rebuild,” and is clear in his intentions of doing everything within his power to maximize the long-term assets his club has access to. Naturally, this has led to questions surrounding the futures of the Blackhawks’ three franchise cornerstones- Toews, Seth Jones, and Patrick Kane. More specifically, immense attention has been devoted to Kane given his on-ice prowess and contract situation. Kane will be a pending unrestricted free agent next season, and if there is one consensus to be reached concerning rebuilding clubs, it’s that they all try to gain as much value on the trade market from pending unrestricted free agents as they can get. Which, again, leads to the questions surrounding Kane’s future. He is a sure-fire candidate to have his number retired in Chicago, and is among the greatest Blackhawks of all time, having played there his whole career. But does Davidson have Kane in his long-term plans for the team?

That question could be what Davidson has discussed this week, as he, according to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic, (subscription required) is expected to meet or has met prominent agent Pat Brisson, who represents Kane. LeBrun reports that Brisson, as Kane’s representation, will likely seek an answer to that question of whether Kane is in the team’s long-term plans. Trading Kane may seem unthinkable, but given everything Davidson has done in his brief tenure and everything he has signaled his intention to do, it cannot be ruled out.

LeBrun indicates that teams are “drooling” over the prospect of an available-for-trade Kane, and it’s easy to see why. Despite his age, Kane is as lethal of a scoring winger as he’s ever been. In 61 games this season, Kane leads the Blackhawks with 76 points, which is 102-point pace. The Flyers’ Claude Giroux was the biggest fish on the trade market during this deadline cycle, and he commanded that much interest as a player one year older than Kane and with worse production. (Giroux had 42 points in 57 games for the Flyers this season.) So it stands to reason that given the interest in Giroux, the Blackhawks could expect a bidding war of immense magnitude should Davidson be willing to entertain offers for Kane. It would likely be the kind of bidding war that could be extremely valuable for the Blackhawks and have the potential to speed up their rebuild on its own.

As for a team potentially considering acquiring Kane, trading for the 33-year-old winger would represent perhaps the ultimate win-now acquisition. Barring an extension, the acquiring team would be receiving just one year of team control over Kane, and need to absorb his substantial cap hit, which is set to be $10.5MM next season. Many of the contending teams that were reportedly set after Giroux this season, such as the New York Rangers, would likely have significant issues fitting that cap hit into their payroll. But if a team could get it done, they would be receiving a boost to their roster unlike many other trade acquisitions we have seen in recent NHL history. All of these factors bring us back to the central question: will Davidson decide to shop Kane, and will Kane (who has a full no-move clause, per CapFriendly, something that has become particularly important to note in recent days) agree to leave the only franchise he has ever known? If the answer is yes to both, NHL fans could be looking at a trade market sweepstakes unlike any other. So, given LeBrun’s reporting, this week’s expected meeting between Davidson and Brisson could go a long way towards determining if a contending team’s dreams of acquiring Kane will become reality.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Trade Rumors: Blackhawks & Flyers

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It didn’t take long for new Chicago Blackhawks GM Kyle Davidson to make some waves in his now-official role. In media availability this afternoon, Davidson made it clear that he sees the Blackhawks as a rebuild. If that is indeed the case, then it may be more than just rentals departing Chicago in the near future. Of course, the two big names that could be on the move if Davidson and company move into a full-blown fire sale are Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews. The face of the franchise, Kane and Toews were the lynchpins of a dynastic run in Chicago and have continued to produce as the franchise has struggled in recent years. With just one year remaining on the matching eight-year, $84MM they signed long ago, Kane and Toews are now much more palatable trade targets if the Blackhawks choose to go that route. With that being said, the duo do have trade protection and any move would likely come from cooperation between the player side and the front office. In the latest edition of TSN’s “Insider Trading”, Darren Dreger suggests that those conversations could be on the horizon, but anticipating a move prior to the trade deadline is likely unrealistic.

  • While Marc-Andre Fleury has been seen as a much more likely trade victim in Chicago, that may not be the case after all. Chris Johnston notes that there has always been an understanding that the Blackhawks would honor Fleury’s wishes despite only limited trade protection. At this time, he hears that Fleury is leaning toward staying in Chicago through the end of the season rather than accepting a trade. It remains unclear what this means for Fleury’s future, but Davidson’s insistence on a rebuild likely means that his time with the Blackhawks will end after this season, though likely not any earlier. Should Fleury’s mindset on being traded change in the coming weeks, he will remain a highly sought-after target and Chicago could certainly benefit from the trade return.
  • Another anticipated top rental target whose status is still unknown is the Philadelphia Flyers’ Claude Giroux. Pierre LeBrun reports that Giroux is still on the fence about moving and controls his own fate with a No-Movement Clause. The 34-year-old certainly would like a shot at a Stanley Cup and isn’t going to get one in Philadelphia this season. On the other hand, with 39 points in 49 games this season, Giroux isn’t showing any signs of slowing down and will have other chances at a title if he decides to ride out the year with the Flyers and save his next move for free agency. From the team’s point of view, Giroux will be worth an exorbitant amount if he does decide he is willing to be traded. LeBrun believes that Giroux could be considered the most valuable rental on the market and initial talks that the Flyers have had with potential suitors reflects that valuation. Philadelphia is expecting to receive a first-round pick, a top prospect, and a young roster player (or a package of equal value) for Giroux. Loyalty aside, the team has to be hoping that Giroux is open to a move.
  • The Flyers face a trickier situation with defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen. When he was acquired this summer, the team had a different vision for how this season would play out. That involved a more obvious upward trajectory for the club, which would have made signing Ristolainen to an extension an easy call. However, given Philadelphia’s struggles and Ristolainen’s himself, it is unclear how the two sides move forward, if at all. Darren Dreger notes that the two sides are talking contract and there is a significant possibility of an extension. However, if those negotiations do not yield an agreement before the trade deadline then Ristolainen could hit the block. Despite a down year, the big, two-way defender would draw widespread interest.

Several Blackhawks Removed From COVID Protocol

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Nov 2: After Kane made his triumphant return last night, the Blackhawks got a few more bodies back today. Jujhar Khaira, Riley Stillman and assistant coaches Marc Crawford and Jimmy Waite have all exited the protocol and rejoined the team.

Nov 1: The Chicago Blackhawks could soon have their best player back in the lineup, as Patrick Kane is out of the COVID protocol. Kane was seen on the ice at this morning’s skate, though it is unclear if he’ll go directly into the lineup for tonight’s game. Assistant coaches Tomas Mitell and Matt Meacham are also out of the protocol.

Chicago could certainly use the help, given they are still looking for their first win of the season. The team is now 0-7-2 on the year after losing a 1-0 match against the St. Louis Blues on Saturday night. This evening they will welcome the Ottawa Senators into town, a group that is much improved over the bottom-dweller they have been the last few years.

Kane has only been a part of five of those nine losses, missing the last several games after being placed in the COVID protocol. He does have five points on the year though, which is still good enough to tie Alex DeBrincat for the Chicago lead among forwards. Should he get in tonight, it will be a huge boost for the reeling Blackhawks, even if he does have a bit of rust to knock off.

Letang, Kane Among Latest COVID Absences As League Questions Testing Protocols

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Oct 25: Letang’s positive test has now been confirmed, meaning he will be in the protocol indefinitely.

Oct 23: Is the Coronavirus and the COVID Protocol Absences List truly behind us? It hasn’t seemed that way early on this season with a vast number of players missing practice and games due to positive test results, including some of the league’s biggest stars. That list is now expanding with two major announcements already this morning.

The Pittsburgh Penguins began their game day by announcing that defenseman Kris Letang has tested positive for COVID and entered the league protocol. Head coach Mike Sullivan qualified his status by noting that Letang is not a confirmed positive, but while those additional tests proceed Letang will miss the team’s game tonight. While the Penguins will have Tristan Jarry back in action tonight, activated out of the COVID Protocol, Letang joins Jeff Carter on the list with both Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin also still sidelined by injury. Amazingly, the injury-prone Letang has the longest active games streak for the Penguins, but that will now come to an end.

In Chicago, a tough start to the situation could get more dire. The team has announced that Patrick Kane, Ryan Carpenter, and Erik Gustafsson have all entered the COVID Protocol. For now, the team has only ruled the trio out of today’s practice and have not revealed the cause for their initial placement. However, the threat remains that they could miss games if they have tested positive.

With more and more positive tests continuing to pop up, there is growing frustration from players and team officials alike, per Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli. With over 99% of the league vaccinated and the players testing positive being asymptomatic, these missed games feel meaningless to the players and teams involved. Seravalli’s report mentions Carter, Nathan MacKinnon, and Mark Scheifele, but now fellow stars Letang and Kane have entered the fray as well. The NHL is reportedly already reconsidering testing asymptomatic players and now more fuel has been added to the fire. Changes could be coming soon.

Snapshots: Blackhawks, Kane, Wedin

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It is a quick COVID Protocol turnaround for a few Chicago Blackhawks, well at least two of the three. After missing practice yesterday due to compliance with league protocol, Ryan Carpenter and Erik Gustafsson were back on the ice at morning skate today ahead of their game against the Detroit Red Wings. However, remaining absent was star Patrick Kane, who was also among the protocol group yesterday. The Athletic’s Scott Powers has confirmed suspicions, relaying word from the Blackhawks that Carpeneter and Gustafsson have been removed from the COVID Protocol, but Kane has not. There is no word as to why the trio were initially subject nor why Kane remains, but regardless Chicago will get some reinforcements back but could still be missing their best player tonight. Off to a frustrating 0-4-1 start, the Blackhawks can ill afford to be without Kane for very long. Interestingly, head coach Jeremy Colliton stopped short of ruling Kane out against Detroit, but there will have to be a change to his COVID status within a matter of hours.

  • Another team missing a Kane is the San Jose Sharks. Last season’s leading scorer, Evander Kane, is serving a 21-game suspension for violating COVID Protocol by using a fake vaccination card. Given all of the controversy surrounding Kane over the past year though, a 21-game absence is unlikely what the Sharks expected to result from multiple investigations. The big winger will in fact be eligible to return to the team before the end of November. So where does San Jose go from here? The team is off to an incredible and unexpected 5-0-0 start and is playing well, perhaps without Kane’s distraction in the locker room. However, they have little recourse to prevent him from returning to the club. TSN’s Chris Johnston reports that the Sharks cannot terminate Kane’s contract due to the lengthy suspension nor can they do so as an internal form of punishment due to the findings that led to his league suspension. The CBA does not allow either form of double punishment and the NHLPA would not let it fly. They would be supported by a recent report from Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, which stated the league never considered termination as a punishment for Kane. While the Sharks may be opne to a reunion with Kane, both Johnston and Friedman note that the team’s reaction has been a mixed bag of support and disdain for the situation and Kane’s coaches and teammates have been non-committal about whether or not they want him back. The team has just over a month to decide how to handle his return.
  • Interestingly, a former Chicago Blackhawk and a player once linked to the San Jose Sharks was back on the market this week, albeit briefly. Forward Anton Wedin, who spent the 2019-20 season in the Blackhawks organization, terminated his contract with the KHL’s Sibir Novosibirsk earlier this week. This sparked some speculation that perhaps he would return to North America, even if only on an AHL deal. After all, Wedin made the jump from Sweden to Chicago at 26 and played in four NHL games and recorded 17 points in 31 AHL games. It was by no means a poor season. Wedin, who was only on a one-year deal with the Blackhawks, drew some NHL interest in the 2020 off-season, but ultimately decided to say home in Sweden during the pandemic, totaling 16 goals and 30 points in 39 games with HV71 in his best SHL season to date. Wedin’s name did not appear in any NHL rumors this summer and he signed in the KHL, but after just two points in 14 with Sibir he has moved on. Instead of exploring a return overseas though, Wedin will play out the season in the KHL after signing with Dynamo Moscow for the remainder of the year. Still just 28 and with NHL experience and ability, perhaps Wedin could return to the league in the future.

Finland, Czech Republic, U.S. Announce Members Of 2022 Olympic Teams

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Like Sweden and Canada before them, three other hockey powers have announced the first few members of their 2022 Olympic team today. Finland is going with Aleksander Barkov, Mikko Rantanen, and Sebastian Aho, while the Czech Republic will have Ondrej Palat, Jakub Voracek and David Pastrnak in Beijing next year.

The U.S. meanwhile will have Seth Jones, Patrick Kane, and Auston Matthews suiting up for their country. Stan Bowman, general manager of the U.S. team, released a short statement on the selections:

It’s no secret we’re excited about the prospects of our team for the 2022 Games. Patrick, Auston and Seth reflect the high level of talent that will make up our final roster as we strive to bring gold back home to the U.S.

For Kane, this is nothing new. He was on the ice at both the 2010 and 2014 Olympics, while also wearing the “C” for the U.S. at various other international tournaments. What would be different is winning a gold, given his history at those tournaments. It’s been a long time since he took home the top prize, going all the way back to 2006 at the U18 WJC. Bronze at the U20 tournament, bronze at the World Championship and silver at the Olympics doesn’t create the international legacy that many would assume a player of Kane’s stature would have.

This year though he’ll have some help that he’s never had before. Jones and Matthews will both be taking part in their first Olympics, with the latter only having one World Championship under his belt. Matthews actually joined the U.S. team at the 2016 tournament before he even made his NHL debut and worked his way from extra skater to top-line center by the end of the event. That’s exactly the spot he will be expected to fill this time around after winning the Rocket Richard Trophy and coming second in Hart Trophy balloting last season.

For Finland and the Czechs, they too are starting off with some powerhouse trios. Barkov and Aho are a formidable 1-2 center punch that can play with anyone, while Rantanen brings his unique mix of size and skill on the wing. Palat, a key member of the Tampa Bay Lightning Stanley Cup teams, is one of the best two-way players in the entire league and Pastrnak is one of the brightest offensive talents in the entire world.

The event is sure to be exciting as the NHL returns to the world stage.

Central Notes: Kane, Francouz, Coyotes

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Blackhawks winger Patrick Kane was slowed by a nagging injury last season although he was still able to be quite productive in the shortened 2020-21 campaign.  However, as Kane told reporters, including Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times, the injury hasn’t healed yet although the 32-year-old is optimistic his recovery is going in the right direction.  GM Stan Bowman clarified that the undisclosed injury won’t require surgery.  Nevertheless, as Kane projects to once again be a top scorer for Chicago in a season where expectations are much higher following the acquisitions of defenseman Seth Jones and Marc-Andre Fleury, the fact that the injury is still lingering has to be a little concerning for Kane and the team.

Elsewhere around the Central:

  • Avalanche goaltender Pavel Francouz has fully recovered from the lower-body injury that basically cost him all of last season, relays Mike Chambers of the Denver Post. The 31-year-old clarified that he had surgeries on both hips, the same procedures that former Colorado netminder Semyon Varlamov had during his time with Colorado.  Francouz is slated to back up newcomer Darcy Kuemper this season with both goalies set to become unrestricted free agents next summer.
  • After a busy summer from the Coyotes, Arizona Sports’ Tom Kuebel notes that GM Bill Armstrong suggested that Arizona is unlikely to be too active on the trade front during the season. Among those that are now gone from the desert are defensemen Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Alex Goligoski, forwards Christian Dvorak and Conor Garland, plus both ends of their goalie tandem from last season.  Armstrong hasn’t ruled out using the significant amount of draft capital he has amassed as trade assets down the road but with this season firmly being a rebuilding one, it’s unlikely those moves will come in 2021-22.

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