On Friday, the Chicago Blackhawks introduced Patrick Kane at a press-conference held at Blackhawks Ice Center. This came just one day after announcing that he was back on a two-year deal with an average annual value of $8 million.
Kane talked about a wide variety of topics based on questions that were presented to him, but there was one recurring theme.
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He wanted to make it abundantly clear that he is not coming back for some legacy “ride off into the sunset” reason. He wants to win, he wants to play at a high level, and he wants to help the young players take that next step.
“Obviously the story is great, coming back to Chicago and being a Blackhawk again,” Kane said. “But most importantly, it was about coming to a team where I think I can fit in well, a team that’s on the rise.”
Well, Kane is certainly going to fit in well. You could let him play right wing with any of Connor Bedard, Anton Frondell, or Frank Nazar, and he would perform. He is also going to play a key role in them improving their bottom-five power play from a year ago.
Kane is well aware that his coming back is a wonderful piece of nostalgia. He is one of the greatest Blackhawks ever, and he is returning after a couple of years away. It is a feel-good story for a Chicago legend. However, nobody involved in the deal getting done would have gone through with it if that were the only benefit.
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“It’s not like I’m coming back home to ride off into the sunset,” Kane said. “I want to be a big player here and help the team win.”
Are the Blackhawks good enough to be a playoff team now that Kane is there? It is hard to say. The Central Division is very top-heavy with the Colorado Avalanche, Minnesota Wild, Dallas Stars, and Utah Mammoth, but the rest could go in a variety of different orders. At this point, every team sees itself as a potential playoff threat.
The elephant in the room is Connor Bedard’s injury. With or without Kane, it set the Blackhawks back when he had to have shoulder surgery. He is aiming to come back in mid-November, but he is going to try incredibly hard to be back before that. The Kane news fired him up, and that will force him to work extra hard on coming back as quickly as possible.
If Patrick Kane can help them stay afloat while Bedard is on the shelf, and they can turn on the gas once he returns, the Blackhawks will be in much better shape. He will also help them in the long term by implementing some of his on-ice wisdom into the young players. His motivation to be great and help those around him be great makes this an impactful signing already.
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