NHL Rumors: Will Patrick Kane’s lower-body injury impact a trade?
Anthony Scultore
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Patrick Kane is dealing with a lower-body issue that may require “some cleaning up” per Elliotte Friedman on Sportsnet’s 32 Thoughts segment on Saturday night.
He hasn’t played a game since January 3rd, missing the last two Chicago Blackhawks games and is questionable for Thursday’s matchup versus the Colorado Avalanche.
“If he’s out there for a full practice tomorrow, I’d expect him to play,” coach Luke Richardson said. “Today we wanted to make sure we’re not pushing it and we had this week to take that time.”
Kane has also been undergoing treatments to get back into the lineup.
NHL Rumors: Patrick Kane injury impact
Kane, 34, has 27 points in 37 games this season and is one of the top targets for contenders at the March 3rd Trade Deadline.
Recent reporting noted that he and Jonathan Toews will be meeting with the organization this month to discuss their futures. Kane will be a UFA this summer and has a full no-move clause to control where he lands. The Blackhawks will also need to retain 50% of his $10.5M cap hit in order to maximize a return and facilitate a deal with cap strapped teams.
Of course, this injury is going to play in the minds of many teams looking to add a top six forward for a deep playoff run.
“I think we’ll get a better idea this week,” Friedman said on NHL Network. “This has not been a Kane-like season, and I think we’re starting to see a little bit of the reason why. I think he’s been bothered by a lingering injury, either hip or knee… I don’t want to jump to conclusions but I think it’s on everyone’s mind, is this something that’s effecting his play and how quickly can it be sorted out.”
Friedman than speculated if this is indeed a serious issue, maybe Kane would sign a one-year extension and then go through the trade process again next season.
From my perspective, unless the injury requires surgery in order to get back to play I can’t see Kane wanting to going through another season in Chicago. The big question is which team will take a risk on him knowing he’s not 100%? And how will that impact the Hawks asking price?
The top reported landing spots for Kane are the New York Rangers, Colorado Avalanche, Boston Bruins, and Edmonton Oilers.
