Evaluating Patrick Kane as a trade target

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Patrick Kane turns 34 in November, and considering the looming lengthy rebuild in Chicago, it seems likely the Blackhawks sniper will be moved at or before the trade deadline.

As a prospective trade target, Kane is a bit of a unicorn: He’s a prolific scorer who has racked up a ton of mileage over 16 NHL seasons. He’s on an expiring contract and has a full no-move clause.

The contract in and of itself is a quagmire to consider. On one hand, you have a great hedge in place if a trade doesn’t work out – Kane’s contract expires next summer, and if the aging curve starts to bite hard on his scoring, a buying team won’t be financially hooked.

On the other hand, you have the reality of the NHL’s economic landscape. Nearly a third of the league is pressed against the cap, and fitting in Kane’s contract, even with salary retained, will be awfully difficult. And considering Kane’s no-move clause, some of the most desirable teams – generally your quality playoff teams and Stanley Cup contenders – may not be viable landing spots because of a cap crunch.

It’s a bit of a mess. But the most important question to evaluate is whether Kane should be a player teams pursue. We know he can score, and scoring is immensely valuable, but there have long been concerns about his defensive play. And with more than 1,200 games logged, are there signs Kane’s performance is starting to erode?

That’s something that will be heavily studied and scouted this regular season. But Kane’s record leading into this year is impressive. If we look at Kane’s offensive production, you see very little slippage – he generates heaps of scoring chances on a consistent basis (and notably has done so recently on less-talented teams), and is still an