Patrick Kane is productive, healthy, and committed to the Chicago Blackhawks going into a season centered around him and Connor Bedard.
A video of the Tkachuk brothers dissecting Kane’s playing style got Chicago hockey fans pumped up once again this summer.
Brady and Matthew Tkachuk emphasized Kane’s potential chemistry with Bedard, much as people previously discussed Kane and Artemi Panarin.
Before his injury, Bedard was wreaking havoc. The team leader by a significant margin was 69 games, 30 goals, 45 assists, and 75 points.
The Bedard shoulder rehab program now has a set return date.
Good for 72 points, the Blackhawks concluded last season with a 29-39-14 record, placing them dead last in their own division and 31st overall.
That serves as the background. Despite years of high draft selections, there has been no tangible improvement in the standings to justify them.
Last season, at the age of 37, Kane scored 57 points for Chicago in 67 games, with 16 goals and 41 assists.
He was on a roll throughout his last 10 games. Thirteen points. ten assists and three goals. Not horrible for someone who many had already dismissed.
Bedard is the missing element. He is on injured reserve due to a shoulder injury, with an estimated return date of November 11.
It is a stretch, not a sure thing, to wager on a real leap just because a 37-year-old winger seems good and a franchise center is sidelined until the middle of November.
Despite that, the pieces that surround Kane and Bedard have some juice. Last season, Tyler Bertuzzi recorded 58 points and 32 goals.
Frank Nazar contributed 41 points, including a shorthanded goal, while Bowen Byram added 42 points from the blue line.
However, none of that prevented Chicago from falling to the bottom of the division. This is why the offseason talk seems different this time.
GM Kyle Davidson and head coach Jeff Blashill can now start building with a healthy Kane, a returning Bedard, and genuine scoring depth.
Whether that’s enough to put Chicago back into the playoff discussion depends on how long the roster can remain together without its top player.
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