With the NHL playoffs looming only two months away and the loss of star right winger Patrick Kane looming even larger, the Chicago Blackhawks chances of winning their third Stanley Cup in five years is up in serious jeopardy.
Kane was injured on Feb. 24 after hitting the boards awkwardly, a result of a controversial crosscheck from Florida Panthers defenseman Alex Petrovic.
He broke his clavicle, or collarbone, from the impact, and had surgery on Feb. 25. Kane will be out for at least 12 weeks but he should be back for the third round of the playoffs, if the Blackhawks make it that far. Although upset about missing the rest of the regular season, Kane is optimistic about his return in the post season.
He recently said in an interview with ESPN, “I think I’ve kind of moved on from it now, but at the same time it was definitely a tough couple of days after you hear the news of the injury and the extent of how long you’ll be out. I’ll try to do the best I can to get as ready as I can for playoffs and be ready to go when I come back.”
Luckily for the Blackhawks, Kane was injured right before the trade deadline and the team was able to pick up two new important players to replace his production while he is sidelined.
They scooped up playmaking forward Antoine Vermette from the Phoenix Coyotes in exchange for a 2015 first-round draft pick and defense prospect Klas Dahlbeck, as well as defenseman Kimmo Timonen from the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for a 2015 second round draft pick and a 2016 conditional draft pick.
But are these two players enough to replace Kane and give them enough push to get the Cup this year? It’s clear that the Blackhawks front office is in “win-now” mode despite the injury to Kane, and are willing to trade future draft picks and young talent in exchange for veterans that can help them succeed right now.
Vermette and Timonen are very serviceable players; the latter is even a former All-Star. But Kane leads the entire Blackhawks team in points, goals, and assists. He was on pace for a record-setting season, in his attempt to become the first American to lead the NHL in points. Before the injury he was tied for the league leader in points, and he was in the running to win the MVP award this year with 27 goals and 31 assists in 61 games.
Kane is an obvious star for the Blackhawks and he is especially hard to replace. He is both a vocal leader of the team who has played a huge role in the Blackhawks Stanley Cup victories, as well as a leader on the ice. Since Kane’s injury, in their last six games the Blackhawks have a record of 4-2.
Even though the Hawks have sustained their winning ways in the first couple weeks without Kane, they have a tough schedule ahead and may have a hard time staying as the third seed in the Central Division without Kane.
Looking forward to the playoffs, the Blackhawks will certainly be playing hockey in May. If the season ended today, they would have to play the St. Louis Blues in the first round, a tough matchup against a physical team. This season the Blackhawks hold the edge with a 3-1 overall record against the Blues, but Kane was a significant contributor in those games. Without him it might be hard to beat the Blues and move onto the second round of the playoffs.
The Blackhawks are a very strong team, with veteran players and an incredible coaching staff, but without their top scorer and leader, other players are going to have to step for a playoff run to happen. With Kane out for 12 weeks the Hawks’ chance of advancing through the playoffs and winning the Stanley Cup is very uncertain.
“You can say it’s just time for me to kind of maybe rest and relax, try to get re-energized for when I do come back and, you know, when I get in the gym, when I get on the ice, make sure you’re working hard, as hard as possible to feel good and get in good shape and feel good when I come back,” concluded Kane in his interview with ESPN.