After a glorious reign of 15 years with the combination of Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews, it seemed as if this season was “goodbye” for good for both of these players. Kane was shipped off at the trade deadline to the Stanley Cup-hungry New York Rangers, while Toews battled injury and illness throughout the season before coming back for what looked like a farewell tour in the last few games of the Blackhawks’ season.
But was it really a goodbye, or just a “see ya later”?
When it comes to Kane and Toews, Blackhawks fans’ ears will always perk up. The beloved forward pair was the pride of Chicago for several years, and their jerseys will undoubtedly be hung up in the rafters someday. However, recent rumblings from social media, such as the below Instagram post by @jimmyhockeyy of the Top Shelf podcast, speculate that one or both of the players may be headed back to Chicago for more than just a jersey retirement ceremony.
A reunion with Kane or Toews would follow the pattern of the rebuild helmed by GM Kyle Davidson. The Blackhawks have recently been stocking up on veterans past their prime with seemingly bloated contracts, like Nick Foligno, Taylor Hall, and Corey Perry. Perhaps of most importance with these predictions, Chicago has $18 million to work with under the cap. Davidson has recently stated that he and his staff “don’t have much more work to do” over the summer, as they feel they’ve practically finished constructing their roster. With nothing to do with that much cap space, they might as well spend it on short deals with their former superstars, right?
If you had any hope that Kane or Toews would be headed back to Chicago, I hate to be the one to break it to you, but it’s not happening.
For starters, neither player seems to have much interest in coming back. Kane, for instance, said at the end of the season that he didn’t even consider it as a possibility:
He doesn’t fit the timeline of the rebuild for the Blackhawks, and at this stage in his career, he wants to play for a winner while he still can. Glorify Connor Bedard all you want, a Cup run isn’t happening this season. He clearly has no interest in playing for a team like Chicago, no matter how much cash they throw in his face.
The Blackhawks may have seen the last of Toews, and ditto for the entire NHL. While The Captain hasn’t made up his mind about retirement, it certainly isn’t far off. After working back from chronic immune response syndrome and long COVID, Toews says of playing next year, “If it isn’t a hell yes, it’s a hell no.”
Even if Toews has some hockey left in him, it won’t be with the Blackhawks, even if he wishes to. Davidson has said time and time again this offseason that neither of the forwards will be coming back in the future.
When Kane and Toews began their Blackhawks careers in 2007, the Blackhawks were devoid of proven talent, forcing the two to step into leadership roles right away. Martin Havlat was the only established skater on that team, and he only skated in 35 games that year. It’s safe to say the strategy turned out pretty well for the Blackhawks, and they have three Stanley Cups to show for it. This time around, Davidson is hoping for the same thing from his young prospects. He’s asking players like Bedard and Kevin Korchinski to step into those roles right away in hopes that they can have similarly illustrious careers. If Kane and Toews were to return, they would also regain their leadership responsibilities, stripping the young, talented skaters from shouldering them. As a result, Davidson has said it about every way possible, and has made it as clear as he can:
“We did make our decision that we’re going to move on from Jonathan and Patrick.”
– GM Kyle Davidson
That’s right, put those rumors to bed. It always sounds great in theory to bring back beloved heroes for one last ride, and the moves would fit a trend of high-dollar veteran signings for the Blackhawks this offseason. But for a multitude of reasons, including confirmations from Davidson and the players themselves, there’s no point in conjecting the impossible. Let’s say it loud and clear: the Kane-Toews era in Chicago is over for good.
