REPORT: Blackhawks holding internal discussions about brining back Patrick Kane

Patrick Kane is on the list of players the Chicago Blackhawks are interested in signing this offseason

The Chicago Blackhawks need a lot of work if they want to be competitive in the 2024 season. The team is looking at all ways to improve the roster. That includes possibly having internal discussions about bringing back Patrick Kane. Which is a prospect that may excite Blackhawks fans.

This information was revealed in an article in The Athletic written by Scott Powers. In the article, Powers talks about what he is hearing from around the league about Patrick Kane and his upcoming free agency. And more importantly, Powers writes about the talk he is hearing surrounding the Blackhawks, and where they stand in regards to Kane.

Powers’ Patrick Kane report

Powers starts off his article by detailing how he was right about Patrick Kane being traded last season. He was also correct in his feeling that the Blackhawks were not going to sign him last summer. This is all to that Powers has good intel and good instincts on what the Blackhawks are going to do.

Below are some noteworthy sections from his article.

“There were a few variations of this question, so let’s get to it. To begin with, I was confident the Blackhawks were going to trade Patrick Kane last season. I was confident they weren’t going to re-sign him last summer. Up until a few weeks ago, I was confident Kane wouldn’t be returning to the Blackhawks next season.

But, now, I’m not so confident about what’s going to happen. I’ve heard enough in the past few weeks to believe that the Blackhawks are going to at least internally discuss whether to re-sign Kane. The answer may not change, but I do think it’s an agenda item as they lead up to free agency.”

Scott Powers they brings up the ever important second part of this discussion, does Kane want to return?

“There is the question of whether Kane wants to return, but I do believe he’s open to it. Kyle Davidson made sure Kane’s departure was as smooth as possible, and that the relationship wasn’t fractured. As much as Kane is a star wherever he plays, it’s at another level in Chicago. I’m sure he was reminded of that when he came back with the Red Wings.

He’s also comfortable in every way, on and off the ice, in Chicago. I’m sure he’d like to make a run at Stan Mikita’s franchise points record (Kane needs 242 points to match Mikita) or be in a Blackhawks jersey as he goes after Mike Modano’s career numbers as the top U.S.-born player.”

The next section of the article looks at what would convince the Blackhawks to bring back Patrick Kane.

“From the Blackhawks’ perspective, what would sell them on re-signing Kane? I think it would partly be Kane stating exactly how much longer he wanted to play. The Blackhawks would love for Kane to retire as a Chicago Blackhawk.

That may happen regardless, with something like a one-day contract, but it’d be more meaningful for him and the organization if he played his final season in Chicago.

That’s not to say the Blackhawks would ask Kane, who will turn 36 in November, to retire after next season, but they also wouldn’t want to go through something anything similar to the 2022-23 season again, where they’re waiting for him to decide what’s next.”

Powers also stated that being on the same page is essential to this discussion. The team and Kane both need to agree on what Kane’s place on the team is.

“They also wouldn’t want to push Kane out again if he did return. They’d like for it to be a mutual and fair timetable for his last dance. With a lot of prospects coming, the Blackhawks are hopeful to eventually be led by a new core.

Just as Davidson previously decided that it was in the best interests of the organization not to re-sign Kane and Jonathan Toews, that’s not a conversation Davidson would want to have again if Kane came back and wasn’t ready to retire when those young players were ready to step in his past role.

Again, the Blackhawks may ultimately decide that Kane doesn’t fit with what they’re trying to build. There was a fear before that the young players would defer too much to Kane. But maybe Davidson’s opinion has changed.

Now that Connor Bedard has a year under his belt and Kane has played away from Chicago and fixed his hip, maybe everyone is in a different place and Kane’s return can be looked at differently. We shall see.”

Takeaways

Powers final point is a great one. Everyone is in a different place than they were last season. Patrick Kane got healthy and showed he can be a valuable piece to a team pushing for the playoffs. Connor Bedard has a year of NHL experience under his belt, and proved himself as a future superstar.

The Blackhawks are also in a different place as a team. Kyle Davidson said that the team is looking to take the next step, and avoid a lottery position next season.

“We want to take the next step here and progress,” Davidson said. “We don’t want to finish where we finished this year moving forward. That’s not what we’re looking to do anymore.”

This is where Patrick Kane could come in. The Blackhawks need help all over the ice, but reinforcements on the wings would help significantly on offense. Last season Lukas Reichel struggle massively. He even got sent back to Rockford during the season to try and help him get his feet back under him. Reichel simply did not meet expectations.

In 2023, Kane showed that he can be a strong winger on a teams top lines. He could be an insurance policy if Reichel does not see improvement over this seasons performance.

Patrick Kane would also be a great role model for the Blackhawks young players. Kane has won major individual awards, won three Stanley Cups and been one of the faces of the Blackhawks franchise for years. Kane knows how to handle the spotlight and react appropriately to pressure.

Patrick Kane is a legend in Chicago. It would be quite the sight to see him play with Connor Bedard. It would be a true passing of the torch. Kane’s play in 2023 pointed to him possibly being able to help the Blackhawks be a better team next season.

At the end of the day, whether Kane returns or not is up to Kyle Davidson and Kane himself. If they both have similar visions for the future, Patrick Kane could have a locker at the United Center once again in October.

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