Chicago Blackhawks’ Patrick Kane Needs Another Strong Year To Stay On Top

 Patrick Kane has been one of the leagues’ most elite players, but he’ll need another strong year to keep in front of the NHL’s best.

For the majority of his career, Patrick Kane has been named among the elite. He’s a three time Stanley Cup champion, Conn Smythe winner, a Hart Trophy winner, and he’s the first American born player to win the Art Ross.

Despite all of that success, Kane has another threshold on his competitors; he currently has the most points since 2014-15′ with 259, just one point over Sindey Crosby since then.

Chicago Blackhawks

With 107 goals and 152 assists in that span, Kane has ultimately lead his team to incredible success during the regular season and has allowed his line mates to thrive as well. However, with only one point ahead of Crosby, who’s coming in with his second ‘Cup in as many years, is more elite than ever before. The adversity seems to be piling on and if Kane wants to keep the ball rolling, he’s going to have to be better than ever.

Lineup Change Could Impact Progress

Kane was at an all time high with former line-mate Artemi Panarin, however, his departure to the Columbus Blue Jackets could rather alter his progress. Both players’ infamous scoring on the ice allowed each other to elevate and reach top tier potential, but now that is at risk. Kane’s leadership must thrive and he’s going to have to maintain control of his second line if he’s going to better himself, as well as the team.

Adding Patrick Sharp to Kane’s line could add a familiar veteran force, but his age and lackluster scoring abilities don’t seem to give the edge that Panarin did. If Coach Quenneville is going to put the roster into the blender and mix up line possibilities, we could see John Hayden or, if by chance, Alex Debrincat move into that left wing position to lift the second line.

More from Blackhawk Up

• Blackhawks: List Of Things To Be Thankful For This Thanksgiving
• The perfect holiday gifts for the Chicago Blackhawks fan
• Blackhawks vs Flames: Date, Time, Lineup, Betting Odds, More
• Chicago Blackhawks Winning- Temper Those Expectations
• Three Takeaways from the Blackhawks’ Win vs Vancouver

Line combinations are a tricky thing, but if all works well and Kane is able to succeed like the past, he could keep his spot as the number one player since 2014-15′.

One thing we know is for sure; Patrick Kane hates being the runner up. If he’s going to want to keep his status, he’s going to need a big year to keep ahead of Crosby.