Blackhawks May Ask Toews, Kane to Waive No-Trade Clauses for Rebuild

Despite a 3-2 win overtime against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday, the Chicago Blackhawks have not had a strong season. Near the bottom of the NHL standings, there are many questions surrounding this team — both on the ice and off — and their apparent strategy to hurdle a rebuild this offseason has not worked. Questions now are leading to whether or not the Blackhawks should tear it down, make massive brand changes, and start again.

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This has led to questions about the status of pending free agents like Marc-Andre Fleury and his future with the team this season, but it has also opened up speculation that the Blackhawks might approach their two franchise faces and discuss their desire to stay with the club if Chicago goes full rebuild.

According to Gre Wyshynski of ESPN, a former NHL GM and executive says the best approach for the Blackhawks currently would be to approach both Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane and find out where they sit in terms of their loyalty to the club, desire to remain in Chicago and willingness to help the team speed up a possible rebuild.

Noting that both players will become free agents in the summer of 2023, Wyshynski quotes the former executive who says:

“When you have many players retire wearing only your uniform, then you’re in trouble. You’re going to have to dangle Toews and Kane out there as the key to winning the Stanley Cup to somebody so that you can reap what you should reap, having paid them so much money through the years and having won your own three Stanley Cups. Give somebody else a chance to get a Cup, but they have to pay.”

The executive adds, “You have to get your new Toews and your new Kane” and explains that you can’t rebuild around these two because, a) they are too old and b) they may leave for free. The time is now to talk to both and see if they’d be willing to make a move.

Kane and Toews Are In Control

This is essentially just a conversation, because, at the end of the day, both players hold all the cards as they have no-trade clauses that give them control of if, where and when they are moved. What the Chicago Blackhawks do by having this conversation is simply find out how open to the idea both players would be.

If either or both say yes, interim GM Kyle Davidson can get to work seeing what’s out there so that he’s armed and ready before this year’s NHL trade deadline.

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