What Will a Blackhawks Roster Look Like Without Patrick Kane?

Assuming a Patrick Kane deal gets done this weekend, we could be looking at something we haven't had to see before 10-10-07 (Toews' first game). A world where Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane aren't playing for the Blackhawks. That's 5,617 days ago.

While Toews will finish the season as a Blackhawk, there is no reason for him to play again. My hope is he can get healthy enough to get off of his career 999 points (regular and post season) though. It would be nice and poetic if he played the last game of the season and scored on his last shot as he scored on his first ever shot (and shift) in that October debut. That's selfish though, so please just get healthy captain.

These are all memories now (so it seems). It's time, immediately, to look towards the future. Not the future in a few years when our 3-4 top 10 picks are ready to debut... but the rest of this seasons' future:

The practive skate had lines like Kurashev - Domi - Gust, and Johnson - Guttman - Raddysh as the top 6. Young defenseman like Phillips, Mitchell, and Caleb Jones were in as well and the bottom 6 had a gaggle of guys looking to increase their roles.

This, combined with Rockford call-ups, will be the team for the final 25 games of the season. There could certainly be a player or 2 that come in a trade return that could play, however those are unknown at this point.

What I am looking forward to is this:

1. Getting our young defense prospects time in the top 4.

2. Bringing Lukas Reichel up to play with Kurashev and leaving him up for good

3. Seeing if Raddysh and Kurashev can establish themselves as long term pieces

The final 25 games will see a much different team than we are used to, but that is the point as we truly haven't won anything of note in 6 seasons. A change has been needed for a long time now, a big change, and a big change is on it's way.