Once the Chicago Blackhawks finally locked up Connor Bedard last week on a five-year megadeal last weekend, it seemed there was only one more chapter to finish the story of the team’s 2026 offseason. Last week, when Chris Chelios went on The Score telling listeners that he talked to Patrick Kane and that he had narrowed his free agency decision down to the Sabres and the Blackhawks, it seemed the writing was on the wall.
Early Thursday morning, it was finally made official: Patrick Kane is headed back to Chicago! Per Elliotte Friedman, Kane signed a two-year deal to return to the Blackhawks at an $8 million AAV.
It seems everyone has an opinion on Kane coming back to Chicago, with some arguing that he’s not fast enough or physical enough to be a true top-liner with the current version of the Blackhawks. But at the end of the day, it was always Kane’s skill with the puck that made him so successful. He proved that once again with 57 points in 67 games last season with Detroit, and hasn’t shown any major signs of slowing down in that area.
“Day in and day out for 16 seasons, Patrick captivated the city of Chicago with his dazzling skill, creating some of the most memorable moments in Blackhawks history as he helped bring our storied franchise back to the pinnacle of our sport. He’s shown on countless occasions that he knows what it takes to win at the highest levels, and we couldn’t be prouder for Patrick to once again call the United Center home and continue to shine in Chicago’s brightest lights.” – GM Kyle Davidson
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Kane will come in especially handy for the first month and a half of the season when Connor Bedard is out recovering from his offseason shoulder injury. The Blackhawks have shown they struggle offensively when their young superstar is off the ice, and having one of the best scorers in franchise history jump onto the top line certainly won’t hurt. It’ll actually be interesting to see where they slot him in—the obvious choice is on Bedard’s wing when he’s healthy, but Chicago might be better served to jumble their lines a bit to make sure they’re playing an effective 200-foot game. It would at least be intriguing for Kane to play on the same line as Frank Nazar at some point.
No matter what happens on the ice, it’ll be more nostalgic than anything to see Kane back in a Blackhawks sweater. As the leader of Chicago’s dynasty of the 2010s, he gave every hockey fan in the city memories that will last a lifetime. To see him (likely) finish his career with two more years at the United Center is the storybook ending every player and fan dreams about, and will be why the Blackhawks will certainly be one of the hottest tickets in hockey this year and next.
