NHL free agency has slowed down in late July, but some notable names are still coming off the board. Most notably, Patrick Kane is returning to the Chicago Blackhawks on a two-year contract worth $16 million, the team announced on Thursday.
Already a Chicago legend and future Hall of Famer, Kane won three Stanley Cups and a slew of individual awards with the franchise that selected him with the No. 1 overall pick in 2007. Kane's first stint with the Blackhawks lasted 16 seasons, and he piled up 446 goals and 779 assists in 1,161 games. Kane ranks inside the top five of just about every statistical category in franchise history, and he will get the chance to keep climbing those lists over the next two years.
The Blackhawks sent Kane to the New York Rangers at the 2023 NHL trade deadline, and he played just 19 regular season games there before hitting free agency the next summer. Hip surgery delayed Kane's decision until November of that year, but he ultimately landed with the Detroit Red Wings, where he's spent the last three seasons.
Last season was Kane's best with Detroit, and it proved that he still had some gas left in the tank, at least offensively. Kane posted 16 goals and 41 assists in 67 games -- with 19 of those points coming on the power play.
In his second stint with the Blackhawks, Kane will add another level of playmaking to the power play, and he should strengthen a top six forward group that's bereft of proven talent. Kane will also be an excellent mentor and sounding board for fellow No. 1 overall pick, Connor Bedard, who is set to miss the first month of the season after undergoing shoulder surgery.
Kane isn't the player he once was, but he'll give Chicago a bit more pop at the top of the lineup, and his first game back in a Blackhawks jersey will be a huge night for the city.
Here are the top 30 NHL free agents as we track where each one lands.
| Rank | Player | POS | Last Team | New Team | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Rasmus Andersson
(29)
| D |  | | Seven years, $59.5 million |
| 2 |
John Carlson
(36)
| D |  |  | Two years, $17 million |
| 3 |
Sergei Bobrovsky
(37)
| G |  |  | Three years, $21 million |
| 4 |
Alex Ovechkin
(40)
| LW |  | | One year, $4.25 million |
| 5 |
Mason Marchment
(31)
| LW |  |  | Five years, $35 million |
| 6 |
Jacob Trouba
(32)
| D | | | Four years, $33 million |
| 7 |
Mats Zuccarello
(38)
| RW |  |  | One year, $1 million |
| 8 |
Anthony Mantha
(31)
| RW |  |  | Two years, $9.5 million |
| 9 |
Viktor Arvidsson
(33)
| LW |  |  | Two years, $10 million |
| 10 |
Radko Gudas
(36)
| D | | | Six years, $9 million |
| 11 |
Frederik Andersen
(36)
| G |  |  | One year, $2.8 million |
| 12 |
Claude Giroux
(38)
| LW |  | | One year, $2 million |
| 13 |
Stuart Skinner
(27)
| G | |  | Two years, $7.5 million |
| 14 |
Patrick Kane
(37)
| RW | |  | Two years, $16 million |
| 15 |
Jack Roslovic
(29)
| C | | | Two years, $8 million |
| 16 |
Boone Jenner
(33)
| C | | | Four years, $23 million |
| 17 |
Jamie Benn
(37)
| LW |  | | One year, $850,000 |
| 18 |
Mario Ferraro
(27)
| D | | | Three years, $12 million |
| 19 |
Vladimir Tarasenko
(34)
| RW | | ||
| 20 |
Anders Lee
(36)
| LW |  |  | Three years, $16.2 million |
| 21 |
Erik Haula
(35)
| C |  | | Two years, $7.2 million |
| 22 |
Scott Laughton
(32)
| C | | | Three years, $10.5 million |
| 23 |
Jaden Schwartz
(34)
| LW |  |  | Three years, $9.75 million |
| 24 |
Eeli Tolvanen
(27)
| RW | | ||
| 25 |
Michael Bunting
(30)
| LW | | ||
| 26 |
Ilya Mikheyev
(31)
| RW | | | Four years, $15.4 million |
| 27 |
Corey Perry
(41)
| LW | | | One year, $1 million |
| 28 |
Teddy Blueger
(31)
| C |  | | Two years, $5 million |
| 29 |
A.J. Greer
(29)
| LW | | | Four years, $17 million |
| 30 |
Victor Olofsson
(31)
| RW |  | | One year, $1.68 million |
