Poll: Will Kane’s Maturity Further Raise His Game?

Kane proudly hoists the cup after a rough offseason that turned into the greatest NHL season in recent history. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports

Patrick Kane has been under the microscope since day one.  He plays a strong offensive game, and his critics usually downplayed that to focus on his lack of defense and size.  They also focused on his attitude.  I’m going to say right off the bat that he played differently this past season, and it was for the better.  You could see his focus was clearly on the ice.  He bounced back from having a career worst .80 goals per game average (that’s still insane) to a career high 1.15 GPGA.  It’s been noted numerous times that he had his eyes opened by his parents and the Hawks organization over the elongated off-season.  I think that he’s being honest with his comments.  The .gif below shows him choking up telling the story of what was going on with his drinking and his time in Switzerland.  While most seem to be convinced that Kane has seen the light, some are thinking its all smoke and mirrors.  The theory behind their assessment is the fact Kane’s contract is coming up, and he’ll need a strong season or two to get more money.  There are also a few theories going that say he is doing this to gain favor with other teams to make trades easier.  Not too many teams want a player that doesn’t care and is only going to cause distractions and trouble.  While I don’t agree with the latter theories, I’m just glad Kane seems to be focused on hockey once again.  What do you think about Kane’s turnaround?

Kane getting choked up while talking about his mistakes and his parents support in his life. Image is from yahoo sports.