Five teams have called Blackhawks about trading for Patrick Kane

The investigation into what happened inside Patrick Kane’s Hamburg, N.Y. home on Aug. 2 continues, but the specter of rape charges hasn’t stopped NHL teams from contacting the Chicago Blackhawks and expressing interest in acquiring the star forward.

According to Mark Lazerus of the Chicago Sun-Times, five NHL teams have called the Blackhawks since the news broke and expressed interest in Kane should the franchise decide to move on from the 26-year old.

 

From the Sun-Times:

Kane’s on-ice legacy is already secure at just 26 years old. He helped bring three Stanley Cups to Chicago. He helped revitalize hockey in Chicago. He’s a true superstar, a can’t-take-your-eyes-off-him player like few before him. He’s always been good to fans, he’s always been close with his teammates, he’s always been one of the hardest workers on the team. But there’s an off-ice responsibility, too. One Kane hasn’t lived up to. As one team source put it, he “disrespected” the team and his teammates by once again putting himself in a bad situation.

Any other player, it would probably be different. But as that source put it, the Hawks have run out of patience.

Kane’s 8-year, $84 million extension kicks in this season, so those five general managers are probably thinking they can buy low and maybe even have Chicago retain some salary if the Blackhawks decide to trade him. But that’s a hypothetical scenario potentially a long ways away.

A month after the initial story broke, Kane has yet to be charged and investigators have only publicly said that they are investigating an alleged incident that took place in the home and are awaiting forensic results. There’s no word when another update in the investigation may come, meaning should there still be silence in two weeks when training camps open the Blackhawks will have to decide whether Kane should remain away from the team or deal with the media onslaught.

Since the investigation began Kane has seen his image removed from the cover of EA Sports’ NHL 16 videogame and his junior team, the London Knights, changed the name of one of their training camp teams from Kane to that of another alum.

From the cab driver incident in 2009 to the Cinco de Mayo partying in 2012, the Blackhawks have apparently "run out of patience" after numerous warnings with Kane, and this could be the final strike if he returns to the NHL.