An overlooked way Patrick Kane will help the Blackhawks

The Chicago Blackhawks made a big splash on Thursday by bringing Patrick Kane back into the mix. The franchise legend signed a two-year, $16 million contract, solidifying the top six and bringing back a proven winner.

When Connor Bedard met the media earlier this week to discuss his new contract extension, he was asked about the possibility of playing with Kane. You could hear the excitement in his voice when he talked about it.

“Obviously, we’d all be so excited to have a player like that but also a guy like that,” he said. “I can’t imagine his first game back at the UC – the reaction he’d get and how much juice that would bring to not only our team, but our fans, as well. It would be incredible to get to play with him and learn from him. Hopefully, he decides to come back; it would make us a much better team. He’s still an amazing player.”

Too Many Points Left on the Ice

Bedard will likely have to wait until November to play with Kane. But now you have a room full of young players who grew up watching the golden era of “Showtime” and modeling their games after him. That has to be an excited group, just counting down the days until training camp starts.

Kane will provide a great presence while Bedard is on the shelf. He will add offense to the top six, as well as the power play. But what he can do after regulation could make the difference between playing meaningful games in the spring or unloading players at the trade deadline again.

The Blackhawks lost 14 games in overtime or the shootout last season. That’s 14 points left on the ice. Having more success in overtime will keep them in contention. Kane will go a long way in helping them win more games after regulation. He has 14 career overtime goals, including five during his three seasons with the Detroit Red Wings. Head coach Jeff Blashill can start 3-v-3 overtime with Kane, Bedard, and Bowen Byram. That could be a lot of fun, as long as they win the faceoff.

When it comes to the shootout, nobody in the NHL has ever been better than Kane. His 55 career shootout goals are the most in league history, three ahead of his former teammate, Jonathan Toews. He scored two last season on three attempts, and went six for nine during his run with the Red Wings. Since Kane was traded, the Blackhawks have gone 8-10 in shootouts.

If the Blackhawks want to contend for a playoff spot, they will need to scratch and claw for every single point. Kane should help them steal some extra points in overtime and the shootout.

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