Considering it will no doubt be hanging in the United Center rafters at some point, I think most people assumed that the last time a Chicago Blackhawks No. 88 sweater would hit the ice was in Patrick Kane's final game before getting traded to the New York Rangers in 2023.
Wrong.
On Thursday, the Blackhawks announced that Kane, who won three Stanley Cups in Chicago and is the top American-born scorer in NHL history, is returning to the team on a two-year, $16 million deal.
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It's a great deal for Kane. According to Puckpedia, his previous contracts with Detroit were all one-year deals, the biggest being worth $4 million. His new AAV is double that.
Of course, Chicago, being a younger team, has the cap flexibility to overpay a little bit, but there's a good chance this will be worth every cent.
For starters, Kane had a solid year last year, posting 57 points (16G, 41A) in 67 games. Is it on par with the production at the pinnacle of his career? No, but for a Blackhawks team that needs scoring, it's a huge help, especially when it comes to setting up scoring opportunities.
He'll also be key for the Connor Bedard-less Blackhawks early in the season because if they want a chance of sneaking into the postseason, they'll have to rack up some points while No. 98 is sidelined.
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The Blackhawks could be a tough team to play at home, especially early in the year. Imagine how electric the United Center will be for Kane's return. Chicago fans haven't had much to cheer about over the last few years, so maybe that excitement will be something the team can feed off of.
At 37 years old, there's a good chance this is Kane's final NHL contract.
And, if it is, what better way to wrap things up than by returning to the team he helped put back on the map in the 2010s.
Maybe he can do it again in the 2020s.
