The Chicago Blackhawks are in full rebuild mode after winning three Stanley Cups in the early 2010s with their now aging core. The Blackhawks are now using those players to help the rebuild along and set them up for another potential dynasty down the road.
Chicago Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson has been a busy man as he’s been working the phones all summer trying to get two more deals done for his star forwards. Davidson already pulled off one trade for young star forward Alex DeBrincat shipping him off to Ottawa. Now he must find suitors for two players who have been the heart and soul of the team for over a decade. Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane are both on expiring deals, leaving the Blackhawks no choice but to cash in now.
Kane has had his name rumored all summer long, being linked to places such as the Toronto Maple Leafs, Buffalo Sabers, Edmonton Oilers, and the New York Rangers. Wherever Kane lands he is in hope of winning another championship before he retires.
However, Mike Stephens of the Hockey News pointed out how two other teams could look to get into the Kane sweepstakes. Those teams are the Detroit Red Wings and the Colorado Avalanche, eyeing the star forward.
As Stephens points out: the Red Wings are no longer rebuilding, and what makes them attractive to Blackhawks GM Kyle Davidson is the Wings have some available cap space, which means little salary retention. While it is known that the Blackhawks will be willing to retain 50 percent of Kane’s salary, the more money they can save, the better.
”Of all the clubs focused primarily on winning games next season, the Red Wings arguably have the most financial wiggle room, sitting with over $8 million in cap space to spend on any further upgrades of their choice. Kane would certainly fit that bill, requiring roughly $3 million to be moved out to make the money work.”
The other team that Stephens mentioned was the Colorado Avalanche, who are the reigning Stanley Cup Champions and are looking to repeat. They have the talent to repeat as they kept their core in place but adding a superstar like Patrick Kane is a no-brainer. The Avalanche also has the talent to get a deal done with the Blackhawks, but retaining 50 percent of Kane’s salary would be a must to make the deal work for the Avs.
‘Kane would push them right back to the top of the heap once again, allowing a player like Artturi Lehknonen to absolutely feast on bottom-six matchups and effectively lengthen the depth of their already deep roster,’» as Stephens writes.”
With the season just a little over a month away, the sweepstakes will begin to pick up steam as buyers start to get serious. It’s just a matter of time till Patrick Kane is moved; the question now is who will be the winner?
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