Is Patrick Kane still an elite scoring winger?

Patrick Kane did not hide his disappointment about Vladimir Tarasenko getting traded to the New York Rangers last week.

“If things were going to happen, that was a team I was definitely looking at,” Kane told reporters. “It seems like they kind of filled their void and went ahead and made a deal. So it is what it is.”

Even with New York off the table as a possible destination for Kane, there is still plenty of interest in the Chicago Blackhawks star ahead of the March 3 trade deadline. Rarely do players with Kane’s list of accomplishments — an MVP award, a scoring title and three championships — become available.

In his 16th NHL season, the 34-year-old Kane is not what he used to be. Some of that could be because of a hip injury that has nagged him for much of the season. There is also less talent around him as the Blackhawks undergo a rebuild.

No one can deny, though, that Kane is supremely gifted, even in a diminished state. His vision and ability to anticipate plays is rivalled by few, particularly on the power play. Among 161 forwards with at least 100 minutes of power-play time this season, Kane ranks tied for 24th in completed slot passes per two minutes (0.52). He has had a hand in 16 of the Blackhawks’ 27 power-play goals this season.

At 5-on-5, however, Kane has been nowhere near as impactful. His 6.05 offence-generating plays (OGP) per 20 are tied for 171st out of 462 forwards (min. 100 minutes). That includes passes to and shots from the slot, among other plays that lead to scoring chances. By comparison, Kane averaged 7.79 OGP per 20 last season, which was 63rd out of 521 qualified forwards.

In fairness, the quality of Kane’s linemates has declined. This season, Kane has spent most of his time playing with Andreas Athanasiou and Max Domi. As a line, they have controlled 42.7 per cent of expected goals at even strength. Last season, when Kane finished with 92 points in 78 games, he played with Alex DeBrincat and Dylan Strome — a combination that had a 57.9 XGF%. 

Could a move to a contending team revitalize Kane, who has not appeared in a normal postseason since 2017? In his latest 32 Thoughts column, Elliotte Friedman mentioned the Dallas Stars, Edmonton Oilers, Toronto Maple Leafs and Vegas Golden Knights as teams that have varying degrees of interest in Kane, who has a no-movement clause in his contract.

If Kane were to join one of those teams, he would not have to be the focal point of the offence or the driver of his line, which could benefit him. Imagine, for example, a line of Kane, Auston Matthews and William Nylander in Toronto. Jack Eichel needs a right winger in Vegas with Mark Stone sidelined indefinitely.

As one general manager told Friedman, “If Patrick Kane is interested in you, you have to think about it.”

“I think he’s an impact player,” Maple Leafs defenceman Mark Giordano told reporters Wednesday. “His numbers are going to reflect where the team is as a whole. I still look (at) him as an elite player, one of the best players in the game still.”