Does Patrick Kane Fit on the Stars?

(Unknown, NHL.com)

Patrick Kane is an all-time great, future Hall of Fame hockey player. He also remains a free agent yet to find his next home in the NHL. According to David Pagnotta of the NHL Network, the longtime Blackhawks star has been linked to a short list of teams that includes the Dallas Stars. While the rumors are swirling, it is worth evaluating what Patrick Kane would look like on the Stars.

Should the Stars Sign Patrick Kane?

The short answer to this question is yes. There were plenty of fans in New York left disappointed by Patrick Kane’s short-lived stint on the Rangers in 2023. However, that should not detract from the fact that Patrick Kane still has plenty of talent and production to provide a team. In the past two seasons, Kane has played in 151 out of 164 games. In the 2021-2022 season, Kane tallied 92 points for the Chicago Blackhawks. In 2022-2023, he tallied a combined 57 points for the Blackhawks and Rangers. A significant drop-off, yes, but not an insignificant level of production.

Kane may no longer be able to carry a team, but he can still produce for one. The difference between Rangers fans’ disappointment and the excitement of fans of teams potentially signing Kane is perspective. Rangers fans were expecting Kane to be something that he no longer is. They wanted “Showtime” and didn’t get it. Their expectations clouded their ability to see what they did get: a talented winger who can contribute 50 or more points to a contending team. For perspective for Stars fans, only 5 players on the Stars had more points than Patrick Kane in the 2022-2023 season: Jason Robertson, Jamie Benn, Joe Pavelski, Roope Hintz, and Miro Heiskanen. Given that Heiskanen is a defenseman, that slots Patrick Kane in as a top 6 forward on the Dallas Stars by production. With the expectation of Kane carrying the team gone, it is clear to see the boost he could add to a Stars second or even third line. Even with a pessimistic view on Kane’s 2024 output, it’s hard to imagine a scenario where he produces less than any bottom 6 Stars forwards. In the 2022-2023 season, forwards like Wyatt Johnston, Mason Marchment, and Ty Dellandrea were the 7^th, 8^th, and 9^th highest points scorers for the team with 41, 31, and 28 points respectively. In just 19 games on the New York Rangers, with a new team and new linemates, Patrick Kane tallied 12 points. Given a full season with the Stars, it’s highly unlikely he tallies anywhere below 40 points. Patrick Kane would add value to the Stars offense, but it is less clear if the logistics actually work out to add him to the team.

Is There Room on the Roster for Patrick Kane?

This answer is much more complicated than the previous. The Stars roster is solid heading into the 2023-2024 season. Although some Stars fans might be trying to squint their eyes and imagine how Kane could somehow take Ryan Suter’s spot on the roster, it’s a better usage of time to look at where he could fit into the lineup of forwards. There is no reason to even entertain the idea of Kane on the first line. Robertson, Hintz, and Pavelski are the perfect combination, and any changes to this line would just be idiotic. The biggest intrigue for a Patrick Kane signing would be a potential fit on the second line. The projected line as of now is Marchment, Seguin, and Duchene. Matt Duchene is a talented winger who signed to the Stars this Summer on a 1-year deal. The 32-year-old tallied 56 points last season in Nashville. Paired with 31-year-old Tyler Seguin at center and his 50 points in 2023 and this line is beginning to form a trend of productive aging stars that 34-year-old Patrick Kane can fit seamlessly into. This unfortunately leaves Mason Marchment as the odd man out. Marchment is entering the second year of his 4-year deal with Stars at an annual salary of $4.5 million. With a Patrick Kane signing, Marchment would likely need to be traded elsewhere. It’s unlikely and a drastic move to offload a 28-year-old on a 4-year deal to bring in a 34-year-old veteran, but not impossible. Marchment could possibly shift to the third line with Jamie Benn and Wyatt Johnston while Evgenii Dadonov moves to the fourth line. This move would boot someone out of the rotation, but it ultimately could be the correct move to strengthen the forwards from top to bottom.

There is a reason that Patrick Kane’s reported interest comes entirely from “contenders” like the Avalanche, Bruins, and Stars. Patrick Kane can provide productive depth to the locker room. The contenders don’t need Patrick Kane to be “Showtime”. They don’t need 100 points from him. They don’t even need 50 points from him. Kane provides a boost that the contenders are looking for to get them over the hill come playoff time. Patrick Kane on the Stars second line instead of Mason Marchment might just be the difference between the Western Conference Finals and hoisting the Stanley Cup.