This week in the NHL may very well be the most chaotic week of the entire season and it has little to do with actual ice time. This Friday at 3pm ET marks the end of the annual NHL trade deadline and even casual hockey fans know that a lot of moves are already under way with more headline trades coming in the next couple of days.
In the midst of this trading frenzy, of which the Blackhawks are considered key partners for a variety of reasons, the Second City hockey franchise is in the middle of a very noticeable winning streak and won five games in a row with a record of 6-3-1 in the last ten games. While the five game winning streak adds a nice touch, it does show that even the “bottom feeder” teams are still fighting their way through the end of the season and that wins are more important right now then jockeying for draft pick positioning this summer.
Will the trade drama ever end?
The answer to that question is a resounding yes, the drama will end by Friday. Whether key members of this organization are still around or not is another story but Blackhawk fans have been given all season to prepare themselves for the inevitable. However, the inevitable isn’t always the most predictable and the case of any potential Patrick Kane moves carries a lot of rumor, intrigue and just plain distraction with it.
While every NHL pundit seems certain that Kane will be wearing a Blueshirt sweater by the end of the week, the New York Rangers have hit a Kane-itis slump recently and have hit a losing streak just as they planned on making their deep run into the Stanley Cup playoffs. On the surface, the Rangers are paying the price for buying into rumors just as the playoff race is tightening up.
Maybe the Blackhawks are looking for a bit of catharsis but the Kane trade rumors have had the opposite effect on this franchise, as seen in the previously-mentioned recent winning streak. The Rangers seem to be clearing they way for a Kane trade by sending Vitali Kravtsov to the Vancouver Canucks and Jake Leschyshyn continues to be a healthy scratch -all signs that the Rangers are getting ready for Patrick Kane.
Patrick Kane wasn’t with the Blackhawks in San Jose on Saturday night and was sent back to Chicago for “trade related reasons” according to Kane’s agent Pat Brisson. What this means is don’t get your trade value damaged by having a key player get hurt in a game just before the deadline. For all it’s worth, Patrick Kane does carry a lot of the team’s weight on his shoulders and this season he’s the second leading scorer behind Max Domi with 16 goals and 29 assists. Any team willing to work on a Kane trade with the Blackhawks know they’re trading for a stellar pedigree (three Stanley Cups and a Conn Smythe, Hart and Art Ross Trophy) and Kane’s still is producing this season as a top-line player. Stay tuned – the Kane drama hasn’t hit full steam yet.
Will Sam Lafferty be around in Chicago by next week?
Speaking of healthy scratches and “trade related reasons”, Sam Lafferty wasn’t in the lineup against San Jose as well and it looks like he’s another potential trade candidate by week’s end. Lafferty likely isn’t part of any Kane trade scenario with the Rangers but he’s been garnering some interest from other teams in his own right. Lafferty is having a great season with ten goals and 11 assists in 51 games and his removal from the lineup is another indication that hey may be wearing another team sweater by next weekend. Again, Blackhawk fans – buckle up and let’s see where this trade deadline ride takes us. (Late note: Jack Johnson has been traded back to the Colorado Avalanche.)
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