Morning Chirps: Kane press conference, final arbitration case avoided

Yesterday was a big day as Patrick Kane met the media for the first time since officially returning to the Chicago Blackhawks. The fans are excited. The team is excited. And Kane is excited. Let’s start training camp today!

Blackhawks Chirps

• Kane made one thing crystal clear during his press conference on Friday: this is not a nostalgia act; he is back with the Blackhawks to win.

• You can catch out the entire press conference here:

• After three-plus seasons away from the team, Ryan Gagne took a look to see if Kane can still catch any of Stan Mikita’s franchise records.

• While it's pretty much a forgone conclusion that Connor Bedard will be the next Blackhawks captain, Nestor Quixlan thinks they shouldn’t overlook Kane for that role.

• General manager Kyle Davidson paid a high price for defenseman Bowen Byram because he believes that he’s the No. 1 defenseman this team needs. Jeremiah Lee wrote that the Blackhawks need Byram to reach his potential as quickly as possible.

• Jeff Maroon broke down the center depth within the Central Division, and the Blackhawks are higher on his list than you might expect.

• As part of our rivals and villains week, Ryan says that Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy is the Blackhawks’ modern-day nemesis.

• Jay, Mario, and I pondered whether the Blackhawks will have one of the NHL’s best contracts in the future on this CHGO Blackhawks mini-podcast.

• On this date in 1997, the Blackhawks traded Murray Craven to the San Jose Sharks for forward Petri Varis and a sixth-round pick. Varis played one game for the Blackhawks, and Jari Viuhjola, who the draft pick was used on, never made it to the NHL.

• Blackhawks Birthday Roll Call, July 25: Eddie Mazur.

NHL Chirps

• The Columbus Blue Jackets kept their busy offseason going as they signed Cole Sillinger to a three-year, $13.85 million contract, avoiding arbitration. The only order of business left is to get a new deal done with Adam Fantilli.

• The Florida Panthers avoided arbitration with goaltender Akira Schmid by signing him to a two-year, $4 million contract. With this signing, none of the players who filed for arbitration will have a hearing.

• Two former Blackhawks defensemen got new jobs in the Anaheim Ducks organization. Dave Manson is the new head coach of the AHL’s San Diego Gulls, his first head coaching job. Steve McCarthy has been added as one of his assistants.

• Cammi Granato is stepping down from her assistant general manager role with the Vancouver Canucks. She will remain with the team as a senior amateur advisor.

• NHL Birthday Roll Call, July 25: Pekka Rautakallio, Tim Watters, Tony Granato, Evgeni Nabokov, Jordan Martinhook, Johan Larsson, Andrei Vasilevskiy, and Matthew Dumba.

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