Patchwork Hawks

The Chicago Blackhawks were already playing their worst hockey of the season before Tuesday, when Patrick Kane went down with an injury that we now know will sideline him for three months.  That means the Blackhawks need to find a way to replace him, and currently, Teuvo Teravainen will get the first shot, and given Kane is on long-term IR, that means the Blackhawks can use the salary that went to Kane for another piece if Teravainen is deemed not ready for prime time.  According to sources, the Blackhawks would likely go after a rental player, as in-house options would need to be paid, plus there are the contracts handed out to Kane and Jonathan Toews that will kick in next season.  Some names getting mentioned include Antoine Vermette (Arizona), Jaromir Jagr (New Jersey), Curtis Glencross (Calgary), and Chris Stewart (Buffalo).  Defensive help is also a need, particularly the bottom pairing, since injuries are also taking their toll there.  Jeff Petry of Edmonton is a name tied to a lot of teams needing help there, and given that the Blackhawks were outbid by Los Angeles for Andrej Sekera, it is not likely the Blackhawks will have enough to get him.

As for what would make the most sense for the Blackhawks at this point, if Teravainen can prove that he is ready, that would help the center position considerably.  However, that still leaves a problem on the wing, where Kane plays.  Jagr wants out of New Jersey, and Arizona is looking to move a few players, plus the Flames would be open to moving Glencross, though reports have him open to a trade to Washington, a team that could use secondary scoring and appear to be the front-runner for him at this stage.  As for the Blackhawks, there are many questions, but little time to answer them, as the deadline is Monday, and not having home ice against St. Louis (their likely first round opponent if things hold true to form) could be another problem the Blackhawks don't want to encounter.