Chicago Blackhawks: Now is the best time to trade Patrick Kane

The Chicago Blackhawks had an up and down season but ultimately it was another season that saw them well out of the playoffs at the final buzzer. They wasted away what could have been an extra few years of contention and it is sort of sad to see. Unfortunately, they aren’t going to be a contender again for a long time. They need to ask some hard questions and execute in order to actually rebuild the team the right way.

The Chicago Blackhawks need to make some major changes in order to rebuild properly.

Anyone who expects Jonathan Toews to make up nine standings points is delusional. He is amazing but this team is not good enough at full strength. The depth is very weak and it isn’t getting better any time soon. They need to actually rebuild the roster which is going to be a painful process. In fact, and some people aren’t going to want to hear this, but it is time to trade Patrick Kane while they can still get a lot for him.

The main reason that they can get a lot from him is that he produces at as high of a level as any offensive player in the National Hockey League. Kane’s 66 points were tied with Auston Matthews and Mikko Rantanen for the fifth-most in the NHL. He only trailed Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Brad Marchand, and Mitchell Marner. All of those guys are amongst the best scorers in the NHL right now.

The next reason is that Parick Kane still has two more years left on his current deal. He would be more than just a one-year rental. The Blackhawks might have to retain some of his 10.5 million but they can afford it if it means getting back some quality assets. Adding multiple first-round picks and a high-level prospect would be a great way to kickstart a rebuild the right way.

It is less than ideal that they are in this position but you can blame Stan Bowman for being a terrible general manager. Since winning the Stanley Cup in 2015, they have been on a steady decline. They have made bad trades and signings which have ultimately led to their demise. We also can’t forget the weird firing of Joel Quenneville who is the greatest coach in the history of the franchise.

Chicago is in serious danger of not winning a single playoff series for the entire duration of Patrick Kane’s (and Jonathan Toews) contract extension. That is a nightmare because they have wasted the best years of his career. He got better after 2015 somehow and the team just got worse. The first step is admitting it and when they admit that the run is over, the better off they will be.