The name, Patrick Kane, one of the greatest all-time American-born players, was recently mentioned on The Cam and Strick Podcast in connection with the Dallas Stars as a possible trade destination.
During the Matthew Tkachuk trade saga, the Stars were also mentioned in a tweet by Andy Strickland a little less than a week ago. According to Strickland, the Stars were not just in on Matthew Tkachuk, but also some other big names that might be available for trade. So, this news of the Stars being in on Kane does not surprise me in the slightest.
Rumored to be in mix with some star players who could be on move. Good players avail in addition to Matt Tkachuk
— Andy Strickland (@andystrickland) July 22, 2022
Here’s a couple of reasons why I think the Stars should consider trading for Patrick Kane this offseason.
Patrick Kane Trade Reasons: 1. Consistency of point producing
One of the most obvious reasons for trading for Kane is his consistency of producing points despite who he plays with, the quality of team he plays on, and also the fact that he’s aging. In 1,107 regular season games, Kane has score 430 goals and 750 assists for 1,180 points over 15 year NHL career.
In the past ten seasons, there has been ONE season where he was not a point-per-game player. That was in 2017-2018 season when he had 76 points in 82 games (how terrible!).
During his time in Chicago, he has seen the highs of winning three Stanley Cups in six years and has seen the lows of missing the playoffs since the 2017-2018 season (not including the bubble playoffs – they would’ve missed the playoffs if not for the expanded playoff format in 2020). Despite the ups and downs, Kane has produced at a very high level.
This is something I have complained about with the Stars the past couple of seasons; consistency! Patrick Kane has been one of the most consistent point producers in the past 20 years.
Patrick Kane Trade Reasons: 2. Playoff Performance & Playoff Experience
If the Stars are really serious about a Stanley Cup this year, Patrick Kane is a perfect fit because of the playoff experience he can bring to a team. In 136 playoff games, he has 52 goals & 80 assists for 132 points. Looking at his points, it’s very obvious to see he’s spent his time in the NHL playoffs.
You can’t teach Stanley Cup experience or clutchness (is that a word?), and that is something Kane has when you look at his playoff stats including winning the Conn Smythe Trophy in 2013 as the most valuable player in the playoffs.
Patrick Kane Trade Reasons: 3. The Stars championship window is now!
If the Stars are serious about winning the Stanley Cup, the window is fixing to shut on the Jamie Benn-Tyler Seguin era of the Dallas Stars. Kane is someone who could bolster that second line Immediately as a playmaker next to a sniper (Seguin) and a power forward (Benn).
Now, with all this talk of trading for Kane, it completely depends on retention of salary by Chicago and what assets they are looking to acquire. I believe Chicago would look at a package of a roster player, a notable prospect, and a 2nd or 3rd round pick. I would imagine the Stars would require the Blackhawks to retain 50% of Kane’s salary. So here’s what I think the trade might look like.
The Blackhawks would receive Radek Faksa (assuming Chicago is not on his modified no-trade list), Wyatt Johnston, Anton Khudobin (in order to balance out the cap), and a 2nd round pick while the Stars would receive Patrick Kane (50% retention) and a 7th round pick.
Would I necessarily do this deal? No, because I would not be willing to part ways with Wyatt Johnston. Does that mean I think the Stars shouldn’t TRY to get Patrick Kane? No. What would you all think?