Patrick Kane

Kane has accomplished a ton in his future Hall of Fame career, but the fact he was able to post 92 points in 78 games this past season considering the lack of talent around him was unquestionably one of his most impressive performances to date. Kane's minus-19 rating is nothing to write home about, but his 31 points with the man advantage were his most since the 2015-16 campaign. Somehow, the Blackhawks are in line to be even worse this coming year than last season considering the gutting of their roster, and while Kane may be traded eventually, it's anyone guess as to where he may end up. Selecting Kane in fantasy drafts this coming fall is nothing more than a bet-on-talent proposition.

Kane continued to drive the Chicago offense during the 2020-21 season, posting 15 goals and 66 points in 56 games. The 31-year-old winger clearly felt the absence of Jonathan Toews as his plus-minus rating (minus-7) and shooting percentage (7.9%) stood as low points over the last three seasons. Kane is one of the most dominant one-on-one players in the game, and the future Hall of Famer has good years left in the tank, so fantasy managers should expect another solid season out of the first overall pick from the 2007 NHL Entry Draft - especially with key players returning from injury. Kane's playmaking abilities give him a fairly high floor and he should be worth an early-round selection across the spectrum of league formats.

Kane continued to produce at an elite level during his age-30 season in 2019-20 despite playing for a less-than-stellar Blackhawks squad, racking up 33 goals and 51 helpers while firing an eye-catching 275 shots on net over 70 contests. The American sniper continued to thrive on the man advantage, picking up eight goals and 15 assists while averaging 3:40 of ice time per contest on Chicago's No. 1 pwer-play unit. Although his linemates project to be underwhelming at best on a retooling Blackhawks team in 2020-21, Kane's supporting cast, or lack thereof, has never really had a noticeable impact on his production during his 13-year NHL career, so there's no reason to believe he'll take a significant step back in 2020-21. He'll once again be a high-end No. 1 option at forward in standard fantasy formats this season.

Just when you thought he couldn't get any better, Kane posted his best season yet as a pro in 2018-19, setting career highs in goals (44), assists (66) and shots (341) while averaging a whopping 22:29 of ice time in 81 appearances. Kane nearly dragged the Blackhawks kicking and screaming into the playoffs, earning himself a nomination for the Ted Lindsay Award - which is given to the NHL's most outstanding regular-season player as judged by members of the NHL player's association - in the process. It'd be unfair to expect the 30-year-old sniper to submit a repeat performance in 2019-20, but 30-plus goals and 90-plus points certainly isn't out of the question. The three-time Stanley Cup champion has also only missed one game over the past four seasons, making him a player fantasy owners can set and forget for the entirety of the campaign. Kane's unique combination of availability and offensive upside is nearly impossible to match, which is why fantasy owners picking in the middle of the first round shouldn't hesitate to snag him with their opening selection during this year's drafts.

Just like most Blackhawks, Kane had a down year in 2017-18, notching 27 goals and 76 points in 82 contests after racking up 89 points (34 goals, 55 assists) in 2016-17 and a whopping 106 points (46 goals, 60 assists) in 2015-16. That decrease in production can largely be attributed to Chicago having a tough year as a whole and the departure of Artemi Panarin to Columbus, but with new linemates Nick Schmaltz and Alex DeBrincat seemingly poised to break out, Kane could easily return to a point-per-game pace this season. The 29-year-old winger undoubtedly remains one of the NHL's top scoring threats, and he should be one of the first forwards taken off the board during this year's fantasy drafts.

Kane enjoyed another stellar campaign in 2016-17, racking up 89 points (34 goals, 55 assists) and 292 shots on goal in 82 games with the Blackhawks. Nearly 29 years old, the shifty winger is still in the prime of his career, and he shouldn't have any issue producing at more than a point-per-game pace this season. he'll no longer have 2016 Calder Trophy winner Artemi Panarin skating on his line in 2017-18, but the American-born winger has proven that he can produce with just about anyone on his opposite wing, so the departure of his Russian comrade via trade shouldn't noticeably impact his offensive numbers. Kane is hands down one of the NHL’s most explosive scorers, and he should be one of the first few players drafted in most fantasy formats.

Kane not only had the best season of his career in 2015-16, he also enjoyed one of the best campaigns of any American-born player in NHL history, racking up an incredible 106 points (46 goals, 60 assists) over 82 games. The 5-foot-11 winger's historic performance earned him the Art Ross Trophy as the NHL's leading scorer, as well as the Hart Trophy as the NHL's Most Valuable Player in 2015-16. Only 27 years old, Kane is in the prime of his career, and has shown no signs of slowing down. The boost in production Kane exhibited last season can largely be attributed to the fantastic linemates he was given, Artem Anisimov and Artemi Panarin, a duo he'll be skating with again in 2016-17. Kane is arguably the NHL's most gifted offensive talent and an elite fantasy option, and should be one of the first players taken off the board by fantasy owners in this year's drafts.

With 64 points through his first 61 games of last season, Kane seemed to be well on his way to a career year, and there was even talk of him becoming the first American to take home the Hart Trophy. But those plans were foiled in late February, when he suffered a broken collarbone that was initially believed to be a season-ending injury. However, Kane refused to submit to that timetable, and after working hard throughout the rehab process, he returned for Game 1 of the playoffs -- a full month before what had been projected. Once he got back on the ice, the winger further defied logic by showing little rust whatsoever, finishing with a postseason-leading 23 points as the Blackhawks hoisted the Cup for the third time in six years. During his turn with the Cup in early August, the 26-year-old had planned to celebrate with fans in his hometown, but before that could happen, he once again found off-ice trouble. Just days earlier, Kane was identified as a target of a sexual assault investigation stemming from an incident alleged to have occurred at his residence in suburban Buffalo. Kane has yet to be charged for any crime, but the accusations alone are enough to cloud his outlook at this time, for both 2015-16 and beyond. Kane is an elite player on the ice and should deliver a point per game when he’s in that arena. But right now, we don’t know when we'll see him skating next.

Kane has carved out a reputation of being a top-notch producer during the regular season, before morphing into a superstar in the playoffs. Like the Blackhawks, fantasy owners are waiting for his otherworldliness during the playoffs to translate to the regular season. He still has not surpassed the 30-goal, 58-assist production he delivered in 2009-10. Kane certainly has the ability to reach 40 goals in a season given his silky moves and big shot, but only if he can avoid his spells of complacency over the 82-game schedule. Perhaps the acquisition of Brad Richards is exactly what Kane needs to top his career-bests, but we'd be more than happy with 30 goals and 75 points.

Kane really grew up before last season and that newfound maturity delivered him the best point-per-game production of his career. He needs to be one of the first right wingers off the draft board (if not the first). But just remember this is an Olympic year with extraordinary travel demands. Kaner has played a lot of games since the start of 2013 and a workload that includes the Olympics could really cause a second-half slow down. Relatively speaking, of course -- he'll still finish with elite numbers overall. But don't be afraid to consider a deadline trade to leverage his value at its highest point.

Last year was by far the most disappointing season for Kane in his five-year career. Not only did his on-ice production slip -- he only produced 23 goals and 43 asssists, seven fewer points than in 2019-10 -- but his off-ice antics became an issue, too. Trade rumors continue to swirl, but the Hawks would be crazy to ship out a 24-year-old, point-per-game guy. Still, the 2012-13 season will be his most important one for the Hawks and he'll need to show the team he's more than just an impulsive frat boy. We think he'll feel like he has something to prove and that will bring him a 30-goal, 75-point seaso. And a major rebound on the power play.

It�s unclear when he originally sustained the injury, but Kane is expected to be fully recovered from surgery on his left wrist by the start of the regular season. The star winger saw a drop in his point total last season, but still managed a point per game average with 27 goals and 46 assists through 73 contests. As one of the best offensive producers at his position, Kane should quickly fly off draft boards in 2011-12.

We'll refrain from cracking any taxicab jokes and tell you the important stuff: Kane continued to pile on 88 points in the regular season, and ultimately went on to score the game-winning goal in overtime in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals. Without question, he is one of the game's best young talents but his actions have gotten him in trouble. On the rink, he's a prolific goal scorer and setup man, but to be ranked among the elite he could afford to act with more professionalism. With a Stanley Cup victory and three seasons of 70-plus points, it's easy to forget that he's only 21 years old, with room for growth.

While definitely a black mark on his young career, the incident with a Buffalo taxi cab driver might humble Kane and give him a little more of an incentive to increase his output. No matter what, the duo of Kane and Jonathan Toews are sure to keep the Hawks in the Stanley Cup hunt for the long haul, especially since they're now running as a trio with Marian Hossa. Another year under his belt will only make him better, after a season where Kane led the team in power-play goals with 13. His 25 goals and 45 assists last season were particularly impressive when you consider that Kane was slowed by a high-ankle sprain throughout January, around which he had a 17-game stretch with just five points (1 G, 4 A).

Kane was the first overall pick in the 2007 draft, and he defended his draft position by claiming the Calder Trophy as the NHL's top rookie. Leading the Hawks with 72 points by amassing 21 goals and 51 assists, Kane played with the poise of a veteran in his first campaign. Expect him to produce even greater numbers with a healthy Toews this season and another year under his belt.

Like Toews, Kane played well in the WJC -- albeit with the US -- and helped his draft stock, which may have pushed the Hawks to take him with the first-overall pick of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft. He was named the CHL rookie of the year with 62 goals and 83 assists in 58 games. While he is not big, his stickhandling and great vision on the ice makes up for his lack of size (5-10, 162 pounds).

Great hands, great speed and uncanny ability to protect the puck are hallmarks of this 5'9" winger's game. He poured in 62 goals and 145 points in just 58 games with the OHL's London Knights in his draft year and projects as a 100-point player someday... if his frame fills out and he sprouts a couple inches. Even if he doesn't grow, Kane will produce if paired with the right (read, big) linemates. He's at the top of the 2007 draft class.