The glory days of the 2010s are well behind the Chicago Blackhawks, and with the team in full rebuild mode and Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews set to become unrestricted free agents at the end of the season, it seems like only a matter of time before both players get a change of scenery.
Both integral parts of the Blackhawks’ Stanley Cup runs in 2010, 2013, and 2015, each has commanded a cap hit of $10.5 million over the past eight seasons, with no movement clauses.
There’s certainly a path to Kane and Toews riding out the season with the Hawks, before either re-signing or choosing a different team in the offseason. The only way either of them can be moved is if they specifically ask for a trade, which hasn’t happened yet.
“They’ll want to see who’s legit to win the Cup,” an anonymous executive told The Athletic. “It’s still early to see who’s in the mix. You can say Colorado now, but who knows if they have some injuries that affect that. The Rangers could miss the playoffs. I don’t think those guys want to just go make the playoffs.”