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DFO Rundown Podcast: Frank Seravalli on the future of Chicago Blackhawks Patrick Kane, if he’s going to play in Chicago this season or ask for a trade.
** NHLRumors.com transcription
“Okay, so I mentioned this on free agent day, July 13th. My reporting hasn’t changed since then. I think there have been a number of teams that have reached out to the Blackhawks specifically to ask the question. Saying, what’s going on here? Is he open to a move? He does have the full no-move, no-trade, so he controls what happens.
And my intelligence at the time, and remains this, that he’s not interested in a trade before the season starts. That if he is going somewhere, that he’d like to go at the deadline if he decides, or sometime around then.
So probably some time into 2023. Obviously, that can change but I’m told the teams that had at least preliminarily discussed or talked about the idea that either internally or externally, what have you.
The New York Rangers. The Edmonton Oilers. The Toronto Maple Leafs. I’m sure a team like, I don’t know, pick a team like the Vegas Golden Knights. Someone that is always in the mix, has expressed some kind of interest. I wonder about a team like the Los Angeles Kings. There’s many teams that could fit, not salary cap wise but a star like Patrick Kane in the mix.
Gregor:
“And actually Frank, I crunched all the numbers for Kane and because he’s alreay had a signing bonus, he’s only owed $2.9 million in actual dollars during the season.
So, if Chicago is going to trade him, and they retain 50 percent. If you get a third team involved, like an Arizona. Heck, Carolina and Florida did it last year, right? You retain to get picks. To do it for Patrick Kane. Let’s say it’s Arizona. You would only have to be paying him $700,000 in actual money.
Seravalli:
“Yeah, with a star like Patrick Kane, who is still very much in his prime, you’re not concerned about the salary being paid. You’d be willing. If it was $14 million this year, you’d bend over backwards in order to make it happen. You’d do cartwheels to make it happen. It’s the cap hit and that obviously . That’s what I’m saying. It’s very manageable if you use a third-party broker to fit in on any team, and that’s right now.
As each day goes along on a 186 day schedule, it’s one less day that he needs to be paid on your cap. So, at the end, you’re probably talking about like, I don’t know, $800,000 or $900,000 cap hit. Something like that.”
Gregor:
“If it was full season, it’s $700,000 in actual dollars, and the reason I use that Frank is cause when you’re the third-party broker, you’re paying not so much for the cap hit, but the actually dollars you’re going to pay for the player who is not going to play for you. And if you look at the average one based on previous years, that $700,000 just to be the third party team to take, cause the cap hit is irrelevant for your team cause you’re not close to the cap, is about a third-round pick.
So it wouldn’t be that hard to facilitate for these other teams if they want to get a third-party involved.
Seravalli:
“It would be very easy. That’s not the hang-up. It’s all about Patrick Kane choosing essentially your team and the fit. But I know those teams that I mentioned have been working through the process to try and at least conjure up what it may look like, what it may take, even though the Blackhawks, you know, haven’t really engaged with anyone to may knowledge.
Gregor:
“From a pure excitement standpoint, you put Kane with Draisaitl and McDavid, that’s the three top scorers the last four years in the National Hockey League. that’d be sick.
But the problem is Edmonton probably need to focus on their defense first, but from an entainment standpoint, but hey, you put Kane with Matthews and Marner. You mentioned Toronto. You put him with Panarin again. Those two were lights out in Chicago before.
So, any team where Kane goes, he’s gonna pick, he’s gonna have some elite guys to play with, the teams that have interest in him. Kane’s still one of the most dynamic players in the National Hockey League. There’s no question about it.
And he’s a proven, proven, that guy shows up in the post season. Been proven time and time again.
Seravalli:
“Day two of the draft, this year in Montreal, there was a lot of talk behind the scenes, quietly about the New York Rangers and the Chicago Blackhawks talking about Patrick Kane.
I don’t think it ever really got that far given that Kane controls it and wasn’t ready but make no mistake the Rangers were one of those teams that, can we get Panarin and Kane back together? When with that team that they have. They are already a legitimate Cup contender from jumpstreet. You add a Patrick Kane in there in that type of market.”