We may not know exactly what Patrick Kane is thinking, but we’re starting to get a pretty good sense of how he’s feeling.
It all comes true for the Chicago Blackhawks icon.
The shock of seeing a 16-year run with an NHL organization could potentially boil down to his final days. The stress of having conflicting thoughts about where else he might end the season. The weight of knowing the decision one way or another rests entirely on his own shoulders.
Kane has been fairly open since the Blackhawks returned from All-Star break and bye week earlier this month.
There was confirmation to reporters that he wasn’t the “happiest” to see Vladimir Tarasenko transferred from Rangers because it filled a gap in the lineup that would otherwise have been reserved for him, and there was a wistful admission that the days were over a little too quickly for his liking.
“It’s always exciting to play at home, I always love playing in front of the crowd here at the United Center,” Kane said on Feb. 10. “Yes, I wish you had a little more time here this month, but it is what it is and (you will) appreciate all these games.”
Including Friday’s visit to Ottawa, the Blackhawks have eight games remaining as of the March 3 close.
Kane is missing seven games to hit 1,300 in a Chicago sweater during his career between the regular season and the playoffs.
This helps illustrate why his situation carries so much weight. The man with the biggest name and brightest resume among those potentially moving during this NHL trading period has a huge legacy to consider.
He needs to determine if his heart and hips are up to a move, and fast. Kane – and his agent Pat Brisson – are expected to brief Blackhawks GM Kyle Davidson on his willingness to waive a no-movement clause next week.
If it’s a yes, that leaves a window in which a trade can be drafted into one of the few targets he would consider.
If it’s a no, it will give the front office time to move on to other deals at a deadline when Chicago will once again be an aggressive seller.
Kane should theoretically be able to choose his next target himself. When a Hall of Famer wants to join your competing team a year after a 90-point season, how do you pass up the opportunity?
Well, the reality is a little murkier.
Kane has looked ordinary on a terrible team, accumulating one assist in five games since returning from the break to see his performance plummet to a career-worst 0.7 points per game. He’s tried to downplay the effects of a long-standing hip problem, but that hasn’t quelled rampant industry speculation that he was damaged merchandise.
Rangers struck early with their trade for Tarasenko on Feb. 9 because they were worried about his health and didn’t want to risk waiting for his decision just to see the market pass them by.
Manhattan is clearly the apple of Kane’s eye if he leaves Chicago — “That was a team I definitely looked at,” he told reporters after the Tarasenko trade — and there’s still a faint hope that the Rangers will turn up could double through a run with him too.
They can make it work in terms of the double withholding cap by running Kane’s $10.5 million cap through a third-party broker. The cost of this may just be an extra fourth or fifth round draft pick since most of the player’s actual salary has already been paid.
If it’s not New York, Kane has other competitors to consider.
The Carolina Hurricanes and Dallas Stars are top teams looking for goals, but they don’t offer the allure of a show at Madison Square Garden. You can find more sparkle in Vegas, but it’s believed the Golden Knights are fixated on other goals.
As much as Toronto may tick some important boxes from a player’s perspective, does Kane fit what the Maple Leafs need?
It’s certainly no slam dunk that Kane, a year-end UFA, leaves Chicago on March 3rd.
However, Auston Matthews made a good point this week when he discussed how unusual it might be to see Kane in a different sweater. He pointed out that it was strange not to see Kane perform on the sport’s biggest stage in the postseason for so long.
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Remember, this is a man who won both the Western Conference Finals and the Stanley Cup in overtime and had the fifth-highest playoff points of any NHLer in the salary cap era, despite playing for a team that won the fourth dance missed the last five years.
It’s no secret that playoff hockey won’t be returning to Chicago any time soon.
As Kane looks in the mirror over the next few days, he must decide if post-season glory is worth chasing elsewhere.
Chris Johnston writes about sports for NorthStar Bets. NorthStar Bets is owned by NordStar Capital, which also owns Torstar, Star’s parent company. Follow him on Twitter: @reporterchrisSHARE:
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