Hawks' Kane out 12 weeks to repair clavicle
Those who follow the Blackhawks learned something about the NHL on Wednesday, when rumors and speculation ultimately were silenced by the confirmation of Patrick Kane's fractured collarbone.
Speed in the NHL isn't limited to players on skates. Things move just as fast away from the rink, which the Blackhawks experienced firsthand the past couple of days.
Following a cross-check, Kane stumbled awkwardly into the boards Tuesday night at the United Center and left the game. The Blackhawks' situation changed rapidly in the following 24 hours, until they confirmed early Wednesday night that he had surgery to repair his left clavicle.
"Patrick underwent successful surgery today to repair his left-clavicle fracture," team physician Dr. Michael Terry said in a statement. "The procedure went very well, and we anticipate a full recovery in approximately 12 weeks."
Just like that, the Hawks were staring at the next three months without their leading scorer. Kane's 64 points (27 goals) led the team and were tied for best in the league, a gaping hole to patch.
They still have a lot of talent and added more by recalling Finnish rookie Teuvo Teravainen from the Rockford IceHogs, but he's not Kane and isn't expected to be.
Likewise, injured rookie defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk might return in the next couple of weeks, while veteran Johnny Oduya is supposed to return in roughly the same time frame.
They're just not impact players like Kane. How will the Blackhawks make it through 12 weeks, presumably advancing through at least two rounds of the Stanley Cup playoffs, without him?
"It's a good question," veteran left wing Patrick Sharp said Tuesday. "I don't think you can replace the things that he does with the puck, without the puck, the attention that he draws.
"But one of the strengths of our organization is depth, and you hear it all the time when a player goes down … you need to step up and try to collectively fill those shoes."
They might need some outside help, and the timing of Kane's injury is somewhat fortunate. The NHL's trade deadline isn't until 2 p.m. Monday, so there's still time to complete one or more deals. There's also newfound room within the constraints of the NHL's $69 million salary cap.
The Hawks reportedly were $1.3 million under the cap before the injury, but after placing Kane on long-term injured reserve Wednesday they might have as much as $7 million to add new talent.
The NHL, however, moves quickly. Three potential trade targets, each fitting the contractual parameters the Blackhawks likely will seek (pending free agents), were traded within hours of Kane being placed on LTIR.
That included Andrej Sekera, a 28-year old Slovakian defenseman traded from the Carolina Hurricanes to the Los Angeles Kings for a prospect and conditional first-round draft pick. Sekera, a left-handed shot, would've been a good fit. Now he will wear a Kings uniform.
The Carolina Hurricanes also traded veteran forward Jiri Tlusty to the Winnipeg Jets, while the Toronto Maple Leafs dealt forward Daniel Winnik to the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Hawks stood pat, but there's cap room now to make some deals.
The questions, if they do, become when and for whom?
There are other options out there, but the clock is ticking.