It’s been quite the tumultuous year for Chicago Blackhawks winger Patrick Kane thus far. From winning his third Stanley Cup in mid-June to his off-ice troubles spanning throughout the summer, Kane quickly underwent a transformation from beloved Chicago hero to polarizing NHL personality. With the possibility of jail time looming over him for the majority of the off-season, Kane entered the 2015-16 season under somewhat of a microscope.
A Tumultuous Year for Patrick Kane
Out With the Old…
To add to his off-ice difficulties, Kane was set to begin a new season with two linemates he had yet to strap on the skates with. During the off-season, Chicago overwent one of their famous post-Stanley Cup clearance sales, shipping out then linemate Patrick Sharp as well as Brandon Saad to keep the team salary cap complacent. Set to play with Kane were newcomers Artem Anisimov and supposed Russian phenom Artemi Panarin.
At the time, this seemed like a significant downgrade for the Blackhawks. Sharp had emerged as their most consistent player over the past decade, reaching the 60 point milestone in every injury free season since 2007-08. Meanwhile, Saad had really come through as a top-six forward during their spring run at Lord Stanley and looked like he was well on his way to a prominent NHL career.
Enter Anisimov and Panarin. In the past, I haven’t been a fan of Anisimov. Whether it’s his sniper celebrations that seem to last a little too long – yes, everyone still remembers, Artem – or his often lackadaisical efforts on the back-check that drove coaches mad; he just wasn’t my type of player. As for Panarin, I wasn’t expecting much. We’ve heard his story before: A talented young player coming out of the KHL, ready to take the league by storm. Often times, the rookies struggled to adjust to the American game and found themselves packing up to go back home just a couple years later. That being said, with everything that had happened to Kane during the summer, I was a little worried that he wouldn’t have the weapons nor the motivation to put on the Patrick Kane Show we were all so accustomed to watching.
Showtime Indeed
Was I ever wrong. As of today, Kane is riding a 17-game point streak in which he has amassed 28 points. He sits third in the league or better in six statistical categories; goals, assists, points, plus/minus, power play points and game-winning goals. He’s currently playing the best hockey of his career, which is a scary sight for the opposition given he already has three Stanley Cups to brag about.
To add to their opponents’ worries, Blackhawks Head Coach Joel Quenneville seems to have found lightning in a bottle by pairing him with Panarin. Almost every even strength point the duo collected thus far has been at the hands of the other. The rookie has been absolutely spectacular to start the season, collecting 23 points in 22 games. I find it hard to believe that Chicago General Manager Stan Bowman had expected him to be this electric this early when he brought him over to play for his defending Stanley Cup champions.
As for Anisimov, I must say, I’m impressed. He’s filled in nicely thus far on the second unit and has complemented his two linemates to the best of his abilities. He’s been better in his own zone, pitches in offensively and hasn’t managed to make headlines for celly-ing too hard after a goal. That being said, he needs to work on his faceoffs just a tad, as 44.6% in the dot isn’t impressing anyone. If he can get those figures up and continue to keep it tidy in his own end, he’ll be able to secure his spot on the second unit for the immediate future.
Back to Kane. Despite it being incredibly early in the season, what has been most astonishing for me thus far, and what I had failed to notice in the past, has been his versatility. Dating back to their first cup in 2010, Kane has undergone an endless line carousel which has demanded he find chemistry with new players every couple years. Not only has he flourished in such a role, but he’s helped those around him do so as well. He has elevated the game of all those he plays with and brings out the best in them. This is primarily an extension of his ability to draw out the defenders and open up ice with his incredible stick-handling abilities, leaving his teammates with plenty of space to work with when he feeds them the puck.
With little to work with this year, Kane has gone from being a PR nightmare to a contender for the Art Ross trophy. Although it might be a tad premature to contemplate such things at this point in the season, it would be naive if we didn’t at least acknowledge his contention. And while Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn have each other as well as Sharp to rely on, Kane has managed to climb the leaderboards with a band of misfits, if you will. Panarin’s proven to be a gem but his production has been aided immensely by playing alongside “Showtime.” As for Anisimov, he’s been a perennial 30-40 point scorer his entire career. The fact that his production has seen an increase this year – he’s currently on pace for a career high 56 points – speaks even more to Kane’s ability to elevate the play of those around him.
It has been truly remarkable to watch Kane string together such an impressive streak over the past five weeks. He has proven yet again that he’s capable of being the most explosive player in the NHL on a nightly basis, as he did in each year the Hawks won the ultimate prize.
That being said, I don’t expect Kane to beat out Seguin and Benn for the scoring title come spring. The system Dallas plays allows for their team to play far looser, running up the score at the expense of their own GA. Not to mention a top line of Benn-Sequin-Sharp is sure to produce on a more consistent basis than any other trio in the league. However, should Kane continue to play at the same high level, his name might start to factor in the equation for a far more rewarding and prestigious award: The Hart trophy.
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