This season could be Patrick Kane’s last with the Chicago Blackhawks. Slated to become an unrestricted free agent next summer, there’s ongoing speculation over whether the 34-year-old winger will waive his no-movement clause to join a playoff contender before the March 3 trade deadline.
Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli has Kane at No. 2 on his recent listing of this season’s top trade targets. He believes Blackhawks management will meet with their longtime superstar in December to gauge his interest in a trade. Seravalli also cited Kane saying during the off-season that if he did accept a trade, it would be closer to the March deadline.
The Athletic’s Mark Lazerus believes Kane would prefer staying with the Blackhawks but now considers a trade to be inevitable. He thinks the club’s ongoing rebuild and their on-ice struggles are wearing Kane down and affecting his production.
Kane waiving his no-movement clause would remove one hurdle, but a trade would still be difficult to pull off. His list of acceptable destinations could be limited to Stanley Cup contenders, which might total at most a half-dozen clubs.
Given Kane’s hefty $10.5-million cap hit, the Blackhawks might have to retain up to half of his remaining salary to facilitate a trade. It could also mean getting a third team involved in the deal to spread those dollars around.
The Blackhawks’ asking price will be another potential sticking point. Seravalli believes they’ll want something comparable to what the Philadelphia Flyers received last year for sending Claude Giroux to the Florida Panthers. The Flyers got a young forward in Owen Tippett, a conditional first-round pick in 2024 or 2025, and a 2023 third-rounder.
