Chicago Blackhawks: Is Patrick Kane the best he’s ever been in 2020?

The Chicago Blackhawks forward Patrick Kane has been a huge part of all three Stanley Cup-winning teams during the past decade. Kane is continuing to get better.

Patrick Kane got his 1,000th career point on Sunday against the Jets. That was a crazy moment in itself. Kane becomes the 10th American and fourth Chicago Blackhawk all-time to hit the mark. He is also the youngest American to ever do it.

Kane has always been a great player. He has been considered one of the best of all time for years now. He really has come through big during the playoffs for the Blackhawks. That’s where he got the name “showtime.”

He’s only hit the 100 point mark twice in his 13-year career. It’s surprising to some when they hear that. It’s fair to say Kane is better now than when he was winning Stanley Cups.

The moment he hit 26 games in a row with a point is when the whole NHL took notice. Before then, it was all Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin. He was never considered bad, he just was always over-looked. Now, Kane is in the conversation for one of the best during this era.

This year alone, he’s got 62 points in 50 games. He’s on the right path to hitting over 100 points again this season. If he does that, it’ll be just the third time in his 13 year career he’s done it. In his defense, there were years where he was playing at an elite level and his season got cut short.

He missed time in 2014 and 2015 for a leg and shoulder injury. In 2013, there was the shortened-season where he had 55 points in 47 games. He would have hit around 95 points if he would have played 82 games.

At 31, Kane is the best he’s ever been. For the average player, he’s at the end of his prime. Kane isn’t average though. For his situation, it looks like he’s a late bloomer and is getting better every day. I’m curious to see how long Kane stays at this level. I could see the team winning a few more cups with Jonathan Toews and Kane before either one of them retires.

In sports today, the athletes are staying elite into their late 30s. Hopefully, Kane and Toews will do the same.

I could see Kane playing into his early 40s if he is still playing at a high level. If Kane plays 8-10 more years, he’ll be close to 2,000 career points. I think he’ll at least be the leading scorer in Blackhawks’ history.

It’s all there for Kane. He is one of the best players in the league. The Blackhawks just have to stop wasting his career by not being a successful team. Other teams like the Penguins have been in the same situation and have made the playoffs. The Blackhawks have no excuses.

The only guys you have to put ahead of him are Connor McDavid, Crosby, and Ovechkin. He fits well at the number four spot. I’m not sure where to put him on the all-time list. There have been many great players. For certain, he is the best American born player ever. There are a few Canadians he’ll never catch up too though.