Kane Returns to Chicago: Can the Blackhawks End Their Playoff Drought Next Season?

With the centerpiece of their present and future locked down, the Chicago Blackhawks are now bringing back a key piece of their past. Days after locking in Connor Bedard to a long-term deal, the franchise has secured a reunion with Patrick Kane, who is going back to where it all began nearly three and a half years after his departure.

Kane, the first overall pick in the 2007 NHL Draft, amassed 1,225 points in 1,161 games over 15+ seasons in Chicago before his trade to the New York Rangers in February 2023.

That move partly positioned the Blackhawks to land the top pick in that year's draft, which they used to take Bedard.

Now, after spending three seasons with the Detroit Red Wings, Kane is returning to Chicago after signing a two-year deal with an average annual value of $8 million.

Will Kane's Return to Chicago Have a Major Impact for the Blackhawks?

Emotionally, it will be a huge lift. Kane helped the Blackhawks end a 49-year Stanley Cup drought in 2010 and add two further titles in 2012 and 2014. He, Jonathan Toews, and defensemen Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook formed a core that made nine straight postseason appearances from 2009 to 2017.

Kane also still offers plenty on the ice. In three seasons in Detroit, he tallied 163 points (57 goals, 106 assists) in 189 games, an average of 0.86 points per game. This past season, he missed 15 games but still scored 57 points (16 goals, 41 assists) in 67 games.

Also, he will serve as a valuable mentor for a group of promising young forwards led by Bedard. Bedard, who turned 21 last Friday, is poised for the next step in his career after agreeing a five-year, $75 million deal that will keep him in      the Windy City for the foreseeable future.

Bedard was a restricted free agent following his third NHL season. Last season, he tallied career highs in goals (30), assists (45), and points (75) in just 69 games, averaging more than a point per game for the first time.

Bedard is a potential Hart Trophy candidate at top online sportsbooks, but Kane's return does not significantly shift the immediate outlook for the Blackhawks, who have just one playoff appearance since 2017.

Last season, only Vancouver (58) had fewer points than Chicago's 72. Also, the Blackhawks were 31^st in the NHL in goals scored and 27^th in goals allowed.

And even with the signing of Kane and blue line upgrades courtesy of a blockbuster trade for Bowen Byram (now the NHL's highest-paid defenseman) and a one-year deal for Ian Cole, the forecast is not still overly favorable for the Blackhawks at top NHL betting sites.

More Questions Than Answers Remain for the Blackhawks

At BetOnline, Chicago is +400 to make the playoffs in the upcoming season, with "No" currently at -600. Only the Canucks (+1000), Calgary Flames (+800), and Seattle Kraken (+500) have longer odds.

That the 25-year-old Byram could be considered a grizzled old veteran says a lot about the amount of youth on the Blackhawks' roster.

As of today, the roster features 14 players who will be 24 or younger when the new season starts on September 29. That includes Bedard, defenseman Artyom Leshunov (20), and forward Anton Frondell (19), all of whom were top-five draft picks.

That youth and the deficiencies that remain in the roster certainly don't mean you should write them off, of course.

Surprises occur every season. Last season, five teams who made the playoffs (the Sabres, Anaheim Ducks, Boston Bruins, Philadelphia Flyers, and Pittsburgh Penguins) bucked longer odds to do so.

Could the Blackhawks be one of next season's surprise packages with Kane? Defense should see an improvement, and there should also be an uptick in scoring, especially if what Frondell, the third overall pick in the 2025 draft, showed in his NHL cameo this past season (three goals, six assists in a dozen games after making his debut in late March) translates reasonably well to his first full season.

At BetOnline, Frondell (+900) is the joint-fourth favorite to win the Calder Trophy (along with Capitals defenseman Cole Hutson), trailing only Porter Martone (+250), Gavin McKenna (+275), and Ivar Stenberg (+550).

• Calder Trophy Best Bets: Why Anton Frondell Should Be Your NHL Rookie of the Year Pick (Brad Blakemore)

But even if a run at a playoff spot does not transpire, a host of young talent and notable additions, including a returning franchise icon in Kane, make the Blackhawks a team worth watching next season.

Prepare for the Upcoming NHL Season with These Betting Resources

• NHL Betting Guide
• How to Bet NHL Puck Lines
• Grand Salami Betting Guide
• Stanley Cup Betting Guide
• Conn Smythe Trophy Betting Guide