A former Chicago Blackhawks star is set to hit free agency this offseason, and some fans were hoping for a reunion. There doesn't seem to be one in the works here in June.
The Blackhawks won the right to draft Connor Bedard in this year's draft. The team will be in rebuild mode, but there should be some extra excitement around the team as they are expected to have a generational talent on the ice next season.
With the Blackhawks choosing not to re-sign Jonathan Toews this offseason, it would have been cool to see the team bring Patrick Kane back this season to pass his knowledge of the game to the next franchise hero. According to a report by ESPN, Kane is expected to miss the next 4-6 months after undergoing hip resurfacing surgery. Kane is a free agent this offseason, and his agent, Pat Brisson, said Kane expects to "play for a long time."
On Thursday, David Kaplan with ESPN 1000 dropped another nugget about Kane's intentions for his hockey future. While Kane wants to play for a long time, that won't happen in Chicago. "[Kane has] zero interest in returning to the Blackhawks to finish out his career here," Kaplan said sources are telling him.
Understandably, Kane would want to play for a contender to try and finish his career with winning another Stanley Cup. However, many Blackhawks fans, myself included, would have liked to see Kane mentor the young Bedard as the team returns to prominence in the NHL.
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