The news isn’t getting any better. It’s feared that Chicago Blackhawks winger Patrick Kane could be out for weeks (or longer) due to a collarbone injury, according to reports. Official word hasn’t come from the team yet but rumors indicate Kane will be placed on long-term injured reserve in order to free up cap space for a desperate pre-deadline move.
Kane suffered the injury Tuesday night in the game against the Florida Panthers after colliding into the boards early in the first period. He was immediately in pain after the play and then headed to the locker room, where the team began evaluating him for possible injuries.
We soon got word that Kane wouldn’t return to the game, then heard the usual vague updates from coach Joel Quenneville afterwards. That meant waiting and hoping the injury would only keep him out for a couple games, or even a couple weeks, but it appears things are much more dire.
There’s something of a silver lining here — Kane’s injury gives the team time to acquire a new piece with the cap space — but there’s no replacing the league’s leading scorer and an MVP candidate. Kane could be out as little as five weeks, as Brian Campbell missed that much time with a similar injury in 2010, but it’s equally possible this is a 10-week injury that costs him most of the postseason, which begins in seven weeks.
So here we go. Kane is out for a while. The team’s forward depth, which we’ve loved for so long, will finally be tested. I’m not even sure the team needs to use the new space to get a forward since we’re still rolling Rozsival and Cumiskey on the blue line. After telling you guys not to panic for a while, well, maybe it’s time.