Kane intrigued by potential opportunities as deadline nears originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
The Blackhawks returned from their bye week and NHL All-Star break on Sunday feeling mentally and physically recharged. It was some much-needed time off for everyone, especially during the dog days of the season.
Patrick Kane used the opportunity to get away with his family and unplug from the game, but you have to wonder how much thinking and reflecting he did, given his uncertain future.
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With the March 3 trade deadline less than a month away, chatter across the league is expected to pick up soon. And many eyes are on Kane, who will be one of the biggest names on the market if he decides to waive his no-movement clause.
Even though it's getting closer to crunch time, Kane said on Monday that he still hasn't made a final decision yet, one way or another. He expects to make the final call as close to the deadline as possible.
"Just try to go about my business playing hockey," Kane responded when asked what the next few weeks will look like for him. "But definitely had some internal talks with my agent and I’m sure at some point, probably catch up with Kyle [Davidson] or whoever here and see how it goes."
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Kane said his agent Pat Brisson informed him that a few teams have reached out expressing interest and asking about his availability. Hearing some of the potential teams interested is giving Kane something to think about.
"I think there’s definitely opportunities out there that are intriguing and could be exciting," Kane said. "We’ll see. We’ll probably talk about that possibly, too, if that’s an option of getting traded and obviously figure out a team that could be the best fit. But we’re not really at that point either."
Kane said he hasn't spoken to many former teammates that changed teams in their NHL career, but he did speak to Duncan Keith about what the transition was like going from Chicago to Edmonton. Keith respectfully requested a trade from the Blackhawks in 2021 after a legendary career in Chicago so he can play closer to his son Colton.
"He was happy he got to experience being in a different organization and playing closer to home," Kane said. "He said he really enjoyed his time in Edmonton. But that’s really it."
The one thing that could potentially complicate a possible Kane trade is if teams are concerned about his reported nagging injury. Kane downplayed the severity of it and didn't seem too concerned about how that could impact him moving forward.
"It’s not something I’m thinking about or worried about," Kane said. "When I get on the ice, it’s not like you’re thinking about anything else except playing as well as you can. I guess it’s not really something for me to worry about. Just go about it the best I can."
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