On Thursday, the Chicago Blackhawks announced that they have signed Patrick Kane to a two-year deal with an average annual value of $8 million. The man known as "Showtime" returns to where he spent the first 16 years of his NHL career. 

The Blackhawks look a lot different than when Kane left back in 2023. They are significantly younger and have stockpiled a lot of young talent through a rebuild that has seen them finish in the league's basement every year since Kane departed. 

The biggest acquisition that Chicago has made since Kane left has been Connor Bedard, who they selected with the first overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft. So far, Bedard has lived up to that draft position and still has another level to reach. 

Before that happens, however, Bedard must recover from shoulder surgery that he was forced to have earlier this month. He took a hard fall during a summer skating session that broke it and is expected to be back in mid-November. 

How is Kane going to fit into the lineup? There are two types of projections when it comes to his spot at even strength, as the coaching staff will have to fit him in with and without Bedard:

Without Connor Bedard: 

Kantserov - Nazar - Kane

Bertuzzi - Frondell - Teravainen

Donato - Moore - Lardis

Greenway - Greene - Smith

You would think that Kane gets some run on the top line with or without Bedard in the lineup. They are committed, at least for now, to seeing both Frank Nazar and Anton Frondell at center. Each of them will get a shot to play with Kane at one point or another. 

To start the year, Nazar (who has more experience than Frondell) will likely be first. His speed and skill set should allow him to look formidable with the time and space that Kane will create for him. 

Patrick Kane has also had tremendous success with Russian players coming to North America for the first time, which is the case for Roman Kantserov, who led the KHL in goals last year. 

In this version of the lineup, Oliver Moore and Ryan Greene round out the bottom-six centers. The fourth line has more toughness, while the third line could be a threat to perform well in all three zones. 

With Connor Bedard:

Kantserov - Bedard - Kane

Bertuzzi - Nazar - Teravainen

Donato - Frondell - Lardis

Greenway - Moore - Smith

When Connor Bedard comes back, he will slot back onto the top line, likely with Kane and Kantserov. This could be a trio with three good goal scorers and playmakers capable of setting the others up for chances. 

The Blackhawks get better as a team not only because of what Bedard brings to the table, but because the other centers will then slot down into more fitting roles. 

Frank Nazar and Anton Frondell could very easily flip, and they could each play on the wing. It all depends on how training camp, the preseason, and the pre-Connor Bedard return portion of the regular season go for them both. Plenty of solid wingers are there to complement them. 

Ryan Greene comes out of the lineup with Bedard's return in this mock, but he will remain on the NHL roster. People get hurt, players underperform, and guys could be platooned in and out over time. 

Obviously, following Bedard's return, even before that, it will be hard for Sacha Boisvert, Landon Slaggert, AJ Spellacy, Marek Vanacker, and Andrew Mangiapane to crack the lineup.

A lot of variables will lead to them getting a few games here and there, but they will have to truly earn it. The Blackhawks are becoming a harder team to make with each passing year. 

Power Play

Last year, Chicago's power play was not good. They finished with the 29th-ranked man-advantage, clicking at just 16.5%. Now, they added Kane, who had 19 power-play points on Detroit's 12th-ranked unit (22.6%). With Kantserov, a great sniper, also coming in, it should be a much deeper set of units. 

PP1

Bertuzzi

Kantserov - Bedard - Kane

Byram

Adding Kane as a facilitator on the side will open a lot of doors for Kantserov and Bedard to shoot. This will also create plenty of tap-in chances (or deflections) for Tyler Bertuzzi, who has mastered that job on the power play. 

Bowen Byram is the best puck-moving defenseman the Blackhawks have had in a long time, which will open up more seams for these forwards as well. 

PP2

Lardis

Teravainen - Nazar - Frondell

Rinzel

Alex Vlasic and Wyatt Kaiser are also candidates to quarterback the second unit, but Sam Rinzel deserves the first look. Oliver Moore, Ryan Donato, and Ryan Greene are forwards who could make an impact with the power play if things don't work out with these guys. 

With Kane and Kantserov added to the top unit, the second team is much deeper than it's been in years. Although the top unit will be relied on to carry the weight, every team needs this second group going if they want to be successful. 

All in all, Kane still has the offensive tools necessary to help the Blackhawks score more goals as a unit. He will help the lines he is on, and he will help those he is not on because their matchups will get just a tad easier. 

In addition to all of the on-ice stuff, these younger players in the lineup can learn from him about decision-making, how to approach the offensive zone, and observing some of the things that make him successful both on and off the ice. 

Is it a better lineup with Kane in it? It certainly feels that way, but the games have to be played on the ice. They also need much more than Kane's offensive efficiency to win more games. These lines will be consistently changing all year long, but this is a good start for Jeff Blashill heading into his first year as Kane's head coach. 

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