Getty Patrick Kane left the Chicago Blackhawks but he could make a return as a free agent.
The Chicago Blackhawks are still taking the first steps of their rebuilding process but that doesn’t make them any less interesting.
Blackhawks General Manager Kyle Davidson took the stage at the NHL Combine on June 7 and addressed everything from the team’s expectations for the No. 2 pick in the 2024 draft to the potential signings of free agents Patrick Kane and Jake Guentzel.
According to Charlie Roumeliotis of NBC Sports Chicago, Davidson confirmed that trading the No. 2 pick away is “very unlikely” at this point, while not closing the door to the potential addition of Jake Guentzel as a free agent come July 1.
Patrick Kane’s Return To Blackhawks Will Have to Wait
Davidson addressed the rumors about a possible reunion with Patrick Kane as soon as this summer, just over a season after Chicago and the winger parted ways in 2023.
Kane, a franchise legend, will become an unrestricted free agent on July 1. The forward spent the 2024 season with the Detroit Red Wings after the Blackhawks traded him to the New York Rangers ahead of the 2023 trade deadline.
Davidson seemed to dismiss the idea of Kane returning to Chicago, saying he “doesn’t foresee” his franchise getting back to rostering Kane.
“He did have a really good year,” Davidson said. “I think we’re all really happy to see that after having his hip procedure last offseason. That was great to see. I think we made some really tough decisions on some longstanding players. I don’t foresee us going back on that.”
Jake Guentzel to Chicago: Rumors Or Facts?
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman suggested that Carolina Hurricanes’ Jake Guentzel could be a target for the Blackhawks in free agency. He made that guess on the June 5 edition of the Jeff Marek Show, and now the Hurricanes have made Guentzel available in trades in exchange for a mid-first-round pick.
“I look at it this way,” Friedman said. “Jake Guentzel is a Midwest guy. Chicago is a Midwest location. Also, they do need to get players to play with the guard… and it just doesn’t seem insane to me.”
Davidson, however, didn’t want to comment on any rumors.
“I’m not going to address any rumor,” Davidson said. “That’s just the time of year. There’s talking points and there’s things that people talk about. It is what it is. It’s fun. I follow it. I wonder what’s true, what’s not, and the fans do and the media does.
“For me, sometimes it’s more annoying than anything because I just get asked about it. People are wondering. It just is what it is. That’s the time of year we’re in right now.”
That being said, Davidson didn’t rule out going big-time hunting in free agency as long as the deal makes financial sense
“For me, with free agency or trade or whatever, because players you trade for could have term, it just has to make sense,” Davidson said. “If it makes sense and we feel there’s value there, then it’s something we’ll explore.
“But we’re very mindful of where we’re at, what we’re trying to do both short– and long-term, and if we feel something improves that long-term outlook, we’ll jump at it.”
CapFriendly projects the Blackhawks to have $33,8 million of cap space entering the 2024 offseason, making potential high-profile signings such as Kane or Guentzel fairly feasible.
Blackhawks GM Davidson on the No. 2 Overall Pick
Davidson stated, “It’s very unlikely” Chicago will trade their highest first-round pick in the 2024 draft.
After winning the lottery in 2023, earning the right to draft generational wunderkind Connor Bedard, the Hakw landed the No. 2 pick in the 2024 lottery.
Friday moves ↔
In late May, the Blackhawks completed a rare draft-pick trade with the New York Islanders moving up from the No. 20 to the No. 18 pick surrendering a couple of second-round picks while getting one in return.
According to the latest scouting reports and mock drafts, the decision at the No. 2 slot appears to be between offensive forward Ivan Demidov and defenseman Artyom Levshunov
NBC’s Roumeliotis reported that Demidov missed the combine, although his agent plans to hold a mini-camp in Florida before the draft.