There's Only One Team That Makes Sense As A Trade Partner For The Blackhawks And It's The Toronto Maple Leafs
Every week for about a year now people, like Avery, have been in my mentions about Patrick Kane. What's it going to cost? Where is he going to go? It's Boston, it's New York, it's Colorado, it's everywhere and everywhere and in reality I think...it's nowhere
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He's not fucking leaving. That is my honest read on the situation. Every day that goes by with somehow less information from the club, the player, and the agent makes me think that maybe Kaner just wants to hear from Davidson that he loves him too and wants to offer him a 3 year deal. The grass isn't always greener. I don't think Kane is in a hurry to leave Chicago. His family and support system are here. This is his home. He has his Cups. He has his money. He doesn't need to go to Toronto or New York to chase another ring.
My gut tells me that the Toews factor might be making this more complicated. I don't think the organization wants Toews back next year. Toews and Kane have been tied together forever. Same rookie season, same memories, same sentence, same contract, same agent. It feels like "Toewsandkane" being said as one word is coming to an end and maybe it's easier to make that break in the summer than it is before March 3rd. Maybe. I don't know. I can imagine it getting awkward when the Hawks brass propose Pat Brisson a 3 year extension for Kane and when he asks about an extension for Toews he is met by dead air on the other end of the phone. Pure speculation, but that makes sense in my head.
Fast forward to May when the Blackhawks have won the rights to Bedard and suddenly the rebuild is on to phase 3 and the path to a playoff spot in Kane's next contract feels very plausible. It'd be a win for everyone. Especially me.
I expect the Blackhawks to be active on deadline day. I don't think 19 or 88 get traded, but I think there is a market for many other Hawks and all the reports are that Jake McCabe is at the top of everyone's wish list.
I've like McCabe going back to his Wisconsin/USA WJC days. He's never been on a good team in the NHL. I'd like that to change for him. He was built for playoff hockey. Tough guy, smart, responsible, hyper competitive. I am sure McCabe wants to experience playoff hockey too…he just doesn't want to do it in Canada. He has a 7 team no trade clause because Stan Bowman was just such a swell guy and gave them out like the SAT gives out points for spelling your name correctly. McCabe's no trade list includes every team in Canada except for Toronto.
I think everyone recognizes that Toronto HAS to win a series this year. I think if they fail to get out of the first round then their entire front office is gone. Maybe that entices them to be a little more aggressive bolstering their roster. The Leafs need another defenseman and they could probably use some bottom 6 depth because who couldn't?
My proposal
Toronto Receives:
Jake McCabe (Chicago retains 50%)
Sam Lafferty
Chicago Receives:
Matthew Knies
Ottawa's 3rd round pick.
I am in love with Matthew Knies. He reminds me of Mark Stone. The Blackhawks have some exciting prospects for the first time in while offensively, but other than Colton Dach (not sure if he will be a NHL top 9 wing) they're all small to average size. As is Bedard. The Hawks will need some beef for balance and the playoff wars to come. Matthew Knies fits that bill. Toronto has said that he is not untouchable. The Blackhawks giving Toronto two players who they can trust every night, both of them have term beyond this year, and McCabe would be a top 4 defenseman for the low low cost of 2 million dolllars for two more years is very valuable. It's worth it for Toronto when their window is right NOW and not a second later.
Then you go back to Patrick Kane and say "okay, next year we will add Bedard, Knies, Reichel, and we'll throw some of that new found Toews money at Debrincat (7 years x $8M AAV), and we'll also bring back Domi. Korchinski is coming. Nazar the following year. Why don't you just put the C on your chest and lead us back when we came from?". Then Kane says yes and we all live happily ever after in Chicago.