Which former Chicago Blackhawks should the team sign or who to avoid in free agency?

Patrick Kane

I have gone back and forth on this, and back and forth some more. I sincerely see both sides of the argument.

On the one hand, he would potentially make things awkward for a young core of players who have been trying to establish their own post-dynasty identity within Chicago. Bringing Kane in would no doubt lead to many of those young players feeling that the talk of moving on to something new and leaving the past behind was just talk.

On the other hand, Kane is an aging superstar but still an elite NHL winger, who would be a massive upgrade to this roster and could teach Bedard a lot about the responsibility of carrying a franchise to Stanley Cups. Remember that Kane was essentially a point-per-game player last season on a very good Detroit team with serious playoff aspirations. Teams still view Kane as a legitimate top-line player and I think that the Blackhawks should at least consider him.

While Kyle Davidson has again shut these rumors down and it now seems highly unlikely that Kane will be making a return to the Hawks, I think that if Kane has a desire to return they should let him. It would likely fit Davidson's timeline perfectly, and Kane also represents exactly what Davidson said he would be looking for in the offseason.

Davidson should not be such a strict adherent to his philosophy that he blindly rejects the prospect of reuniting with Kane, even if such a reunion would equate to a substantial improvement in the team. If the goal is short-term improvement without handing out long-term contracts so as not to hamper the future salary cap, then signing Kane would make a lot of business sense.