Given the current direction of the Chicago Blackhawks organization, it feels like only a matter of time before we see some of the biggest names in the history of the franchise moving on. The biggest name of course is that of superstar forward Patrick Kane and as a result it is the trade rumor that fans on all sides of this equation are the most intrigued by.
Not only would a trade of Kane change the fortunes of the team he would be joining, but it would also likely change the fortunes of the Chicago Blackhawks who would likely be receiving a king’s ransom for what many believe to be the greatest American born player to ever lace up a pair of skates.
The reality is that there is still a great deal of uncertainty surrounding Patrick Kane’s future and that will likely remain true right up until the moment he is actually traded. This week however one National Hockey League insider tried to shed some light on the Kane situation when insider Frank Seravalli shared an update on the Kane trade talks during the latest edition of his podcast.
Seravalli not only established a timeline for when he believes Kane will be traded, but also rattled off the names of several teams he believes could be in the mix as well.
“He does have the full no-move, no-trade, so controls what happens,” admitted Seravalli on the DFO Rundown podcast. “My intelligence at the time and it remains this, is that he is not interested in a trade before the season starts. That if he is going somewhere that he would like to go at the deadline, if he decides, or sometime around then. “
That makes a great deal of sense from Kane’s perspective if you take a few seconds to think about it. It is much more difficult to pinpoint which teams will be legitimate Stanley Cup contenders prior to the start of the regular season, and if Kane wishes to compete for another Stanley Cup on a contender it would become much easier to determine his destination after a significant portion of the season has been played out.
As for what teams could be a landing spot for Kane? Seravalli named a number of teams that he believes have already had talks with the Blackhawks, and added a few more for good measure as well.
“I’m told the teams that had at least preliminarily discussed or talked about the idea either internally or externally what have you, the New York Rangers, the Edmonton Oilers, the Toronto Maple Leafs. I’m sure a team like the Vegas Golden Knights, a team that is always in the mix, has expressed some kind of interest.I wonder about a team like the Los Angeles Kings… there’s many teams that could fit, not salary cap wise, a star like Patrick Kane in the mix.”
A lot could change between now and the trade deadline next year, but if Servalli is indeed correct one of these teams could very well be just the second team Patrick Kane plays for in his NHL career.
