Former Blackhawk Patrick Kane may not be sticking with the Red Wings after one year. "Showtime" could be taking his act back to the New York Rangers.
Patrick Kane has had an interesting year-plus since the Chicago Blackhawks dealt him to the New York Rangers on Feb. 28, 2023, just before the trade deadline.
Kane is a future Hall-of-Famer and 38th all-time in points with 1,284 in 1,230 games. That mark is second in Blackhawks history to only the legendary Stan Mikita.
Kane's eight-year, $84 million contract in Chicago was set to run out after 2022-23, and he was able to skate in the playoffs again with New York in 2023. The postseason appearance didn't go as planned and the Rangers were eliminated in the first round, extending the time since Kane last made it out of the first round to nine years (including 2023-24).
The Rangers couldn't afford Kane at the time. But more than that, the forward wasn't able sign anywhere until he was almost recovered from invasive hip resurfacing surgery he underwent during the 2023 offseason.
Kane eventually signed a one-year contract with the Detroit Red Wings on Nov. 28, 2023. The 35-year-old forward bounced back strong with Detroit, posting 20 goals and 27 assists in 50 regular-season games last season. Kane, a.k.a "Showtime," looked like his old slick self after returning in December.
But the Red Wings narrowly missed the playoffs, falling short on the final day of the regular season.
Kane is a competitor and clearly misses going on deep postseason runs. He and the Blackhawks went to the Western Conference Final or further in five of seven years between 2009 and 2015.
Having said all of that, it appears as though Kane and the Rangers could once again be a match, but this time for longer than just 26 games. On The Chris Johnston Show, Johnston said that "there's been lots of smoke about a return to the Rangers...if we had to pick a frontrunner, I'd say it would be the Rangers."
The Blackhawks aren't in a spot to even make the playoffs next season (as of now), never mind make a run in the postseason. Kane's return would disrupt the leadership growth in Chicago too, with general manager Kyle Davidson emphasizing the Blackhawks have moved on from Kane and former captain Jonathan Toews.
It makes perfect sense that Kane would want to return to the 2023-24 Presidents' Trophy winner in the Rangers as they still have at least a few years left of being a Stanley Cup contender.
Kane trains hard as a pro, has some game left and is looking to sign a multi-year contract. With the Rangers needing to win now, the prospect of adding someone who won three Cups with Chicago and is hungry for more is attractive. The Rangers won't be the only team after Kane in free agency. After an impressive comeback last season, he has proven he can make an impact anywhere.