Patrick Kane News

Kane is just five weeks into a 12-week timeline and when coach Joel Quenneville was asked if his timeline has changed, the coach said “There’s been excellent progress. It could be good news. We’ll see.” This is great news for the Blackhawks, but when he will return remains fuzzy. He could be back in time for game-1 of the playoffs.

This is even longer than the original reports, but with the playoffs starting in seven weeks, Kane’s season appears to be over. This is a terrible break for a player who was trying to become the first American born player to win the scoring title. This will put a lot of weight Kris Versteeg and Patrick Sharp to put the puck in the net.

Kane suffered a “significant” upper-body injury in Tuesday’s game against the Panthers. There has been no official word on exactly how long he will be sidelined, but his movement to LTIR means that he will miss a minimum of 10 games or 24 days. He is expected to be sidelined for longer than that, but we will wait for the official timeline from the team.

Kane crashed shoulder first into the boards after being pushed from behind by Panthers defenseman Alex Petrovic. Kane immediately left the ice and did not return. There is speculation that Kane could miss more than a month with a clavicle injury, but the Blackhawks have not released an official injury update. Kane was tied for the league lead in points and is irreplaceable. However, a if he misses significant time, Patrick Sharp will be leaned on more heavily to produce offensively.

The Blackhawks signed Jonathan Toews to the exact same contract. The deal does not kick in until the 2015-16 season, but the annual cap-hit will be the highest in the league. When Kane and Toews joined the Blackhawks they had not reached the Finals since 1992, but since drafting Kane (first overall) in 2007 they have won two Stanley Cups and reached the Western Conference Final two other times. Kane tallied 29 goals and 40 assists (69 points) in 69 games last season. Kane went on to post 20 points (8G / 12A) in 19 postseason games. Kane has some of the best hands in the NHL and will be one of the first right wingers off of the board this season.

Kane missed the final 12 games of the regular season after suffering a sprained knee. Kane said he felt ‘’pretty good’’ after Monday’s workout. But he acknowledged ‘’we’ll know a little bit more’’ after practicing with the team Tuesday and Wednesday. Even then, until Game 1, the status of Kane’s recovery will be up in the air.

Kane will miss the rest of the regular season, but if he does get back onto the ice this week, he will have two weeks to get ready for the post-season. He won the Conn Smythe Trophy last season, so he will look to win two in a row this year.

Kane's placement on LTIR means he has to miss the next 24 days of play which spans until the end of the regular season for the Hawks. If you are in a one-year format, Kane can be dropped. The Blackhawks are confident that Kane will be ready to go for game-1 of the playoffs. Teuvo Teravainen will join the Blackhawks today, could be a fill-in for the injured Kane.

Kane could be in danger of missing the remainder of the regular season, which would be a huge blow to your fantasy roster. Kane's left leg was hit after teammate Sheldon Brookbank checked Blues forward Brendan Morrow to the ice along the boards. Morrow hit Kane's left leg and he fell awkwardly to the ice. The three-week mark would have him back on April 10th, with the regular season wrapping up on April 13th, it is tough to see him playing again before the playoffs.

Kane found out about his grandfather Donald's death just before the Blackhawks' 5-3 victory over the Kings that night. He went on to record two goals and an assist, pointing to the sky after his first goal of the night to honor his grandfather. Friday is the Blackhawks last game before the Olympic break, so up next for Kane is Sochi with Team USA. Look for him to be back on the ice with the Blackhawks on February 27 in New York.

Kane's presence will slightly increase the value of Handzus and Sharp.

The Blackhawks will rest a lot of their star players tonight.

Kane owners have nothing to worry about. He is good to go tonight.

Kane took part in today's line rushes so don't expect him to miss any playing time. He's scored 23 goals and 65 points in 80 games this season.

Look for Kane to center the second line tonight. The former 1st overall pick has 14 goals and 50 points in 64 games.

Kane is once again moved down the middle. The former 1st overall pick has 14 goals and 50 points in 64 games.

Kane moves to the second line as coach Joel Quenneville hopes to get some life from his offense. The former 1st overall pick has 12 goals and 45 points through 54 games.

Kane has been moved down to the second PP unit as a bit of a message. The former 1st overall pick has only two goals since November 16th.

Kane once again moves to center. The former first overall pick scored nine goals and 34 points through 37 games. He played well as a pivot so don't expect any dropoff in performance.