Patrick Kane won’t play vs. Sharks amid trade discussions originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
Patrick Kane will not play in the Blackhawks’ Saturday night matchup with the San Jose Sharks as trade discussions with the New York Rangers continue, according to Sportsnet reporter Elliotte Friedman.
And Kane has even headed home to Chicago, leaving the team in the midst of a west coast road trip.
According to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic and TSN, Kane’s agent felt that it would be best for the forward to sit out Saturday’s game as the two Original Six franchises work out a potential blockbuster deal.
Additionally, the Blackhawks seem to be preparing for more than just Kane’s involvement in any potential deals, as forward Sam Rafferty is also not expected to dress for Saturday evening’s game.
Friedman tweeted earlier that a potential deal between the Blackhawks and Rangers involving Patrick Kane had quickly developed over the past 24 hours, noting the trade was “grinding to a conclusion.”
One of the final details will be the 34-year-old Kane, who is in his 16th season with the Blackhawks, waiving his no-trade clause ahead of the March 3 deadline.
Speculation of an impending trade intensified on Thursday when the Rangers announced prior to their matchup with the Detroit Red Wings that Vitali Kravtsov and Jake Leschyshyn were unavailable due to “roster management reasons.” Leschyshyn was later placed on waivers by the Rangers, according to Bally Sports’ Frank Seravalli.
Speculation from The Athletic’s Rangers reporter Arthur Staple suggests that the trade could be completed well in advance of the March 3 trade deadline if defenseman Ryan Lindgren is seriously injured.
Kane, meanwhile, had a “maintenance day” on Friday and did not practice with the Blackhawks. This after he played his best hockey of the season while tallying seven goals and three assists over his last four games, all of which have been Chicago victories. Kane, who has 16 goals and 29 assists in 54 games this season, was asked after Wednesday’s 4-3 win over the Dallas Stars if he has been extra motivated to showcase himself ahead of the trade deadline.
“No, I don’t know,” Kane said. “It’s just, I think all of a sudden you get going and you start feeling good, you start feeling confident. I was the beneficiary of a few plays tonight and even the last couple games too. I think things are just clicking.”
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