Trade rumors have been swirling around Chicago Blackhawk’s top players including Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane all offseason, but it was downplayed by both players.

On the first day of training on Thursday, Kane and Toews both addressed the media.

“Just a lot of noise and a lot of rumors,” Kane said. “I don’t think there was too much to anything.” 

Toews said: “A lot of change overall by the organization, but it’s nice to get settled in. There’s no more talk. You just get to go out and play and start moving forward.”

In the offseason, the Blackhawks made a major shakeup to its core and appear committed to a full rebuild.

It traded star winger Alex DeBrincat to Ottawa Senators for a package that included the 7th overall pick in the 2022 draft.

It also traded 21-year-old Kirby Dach, who was selected third overall in 2019, for a first and third-round pick in 2022.

Additionally, the Blackhawks let Dylan Strome walk in unrestricted free agency.

The moves indicate that both Toews and Kane could be next.

While it may not happen in the coming weeks as the Blackhawks get set for the regular season, there’s a chance it happens closer to the trade deadline, which is on February 20.

This is assuming that the Blackhawks aren’t in a playoff position as expected.

But two things make a trade complicated.

First, keep in mind both Toews and Kane have one year left with $10.5 million cap hits.

So, the Blackhawks would have to find a team near the trade deadline that would be able to absorb it.

The Blackhawks can also retain a portion of each player’s salary – up to 50%.

But the biggest issue is both have full no move clauses (NMC).

That means Kane and Toews control their trade destinations.

Also, both can refuse to waive their NMCs period and stay pat with the Blackhawks for the remainder of the regular season.

But Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson may be calling both players to see where they want to be traded if the Blackhawks do in fact endure a lot of losing this season.

“As far as any player movement, we’re not anywhere near that point. We’re focused on Jonathan and Patrick being here and being part of the team and competing right from the opening day,” Davidson told the media this week. 

But a trade does seem like the inevitable – whether it happens in February or sooner. 

The Boston Bruins lost only their third game of the season Thursday after being edged out by the Central Division’s last place Chicago Blackhawks, 4-3 in overtime. After blowing a three goal lead in the third period, Jonathan Toews scored the game-winning goal a minute into overtime.

Ryan Carpenter started off the scoring for the Blackhawks with a short-handed goal in the first period. Dylan Strome followed up with a goal 40 seconds later after he redirected a shot from Erik Gustafsson.

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Alex DeBrincat really needed to get going after not scoring for Chicago in the last 12 games. The 21-year-old American is coming off a season where he netted 41 goals with 76 total points. He finally answered the bell blasting a wrist shot stick side past Rask on a breakaway in the third period.

“It was a long time between goals. But hopefully I can get hot again and keep going,” DeBrincat said.

Boston surged back with third period goals coming from Joakim Nordstrom and Chris Wagner, before Torrey Krug tied the game at 3-3 with two and a half minutes remaining.

After stripping the puck from Bruins’ star David Pastrnak, Toews and Blackhawks’ right wing Patrick Kane ,skated down the ice with a two on none breakaway. Toews was able to deke out Bruins’ goalie Tuukka Rask and score on the backhand in front of a hostile TD Garden crowd in Boston. This is definitely an upset considering Boston is first in the Atlantic Division with 45 points (20-3-6) and 15 points clear of the second place Florida Panthers.

Patrick Kane called Wednesday’s game in Minnesota the Chicago Blackhawks’ “biggest game of the season.”

Blackhawks’ Jonathan Toews Scores Game-Winning Goal vs Wild

The Blackhawks manage to secure the 4-3 overtime victory against the Wild thanks to Jonathan Toews’ game-winning goal 3:09 into overtime.

Toews also recorded two assists and has four goals and seven assists in his past seven games.

“There was some added meaning to [this game], for our team anyways,” he said. “We hadn’t played since Saturday night, so it’s not always easy to get back for those when you get a break. … We had some energy and tried to wear them down, but obviously it’s a team that works pretty hard. They didn’t go away. Nice for us to find that resiliency and find a way to get a power-play goal at the end.”

Corey Crawford made 35 saves for the Blackhawks (33-17-5), who had lost eight consecutive games to the Wild.

Chicago, who have won three straight, are now within five points of Minnesota (35-12-6) for the Central Division lead.

Wild forward Erik Haula tied the game 3-3 at with 3:03 remaining in the third period. Minnesota trailed 2-0 1:09 into the second period.

Vinnie Hinostroza skated up the slot and assisted Ryan Hartman for a one-timer at 10:54 of the first period to give the Blackhawks a 1-0 lead.

Nick Schmaltz doubled the lead at 1:09 of the second, and Jared Spurgeon opened scoring for the Wild 37 seconds later with a wrist shot off the crossbar.

Zach Parise then tied it 2-2 at 7:15 of the second, and Chicago requested a coach’s challenge for offsides; the review, which took approximately six minutes to resolve, was inconclusive and the goal stood.

The replay review took so long that at one point linesman Ryan Daisy used an iPhone, presumably to communicate with NHL officials. The league said in a statement that replays were inconclusive that Parise was offside the moment puck touched Wild center Charlie Coyle’s stick.

Richard Panik gave Chicago a 3-2 lead at 17:24 of the second.

Wild goalie Darcy Kuemper made 28 saves starting in place of Devan Dubnyk. 

“It was a pretty even game,” Minnesota coach Bruce Boudreau said. “In the end someone has to win, someone has to lose. We take a penalty in overtime and that’s a pretty good team to have on the power play 4-on-3 for two minutes.”

The Wild next host the Tampa Bay Lightning on Friday, when the Blackhawks visit the Winnipeg Jets.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3C1JAwTaoCU

Two of the National Hockey League’s biggest stars have elected not to play in the All-Star Game, this Sunday at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn.  Washington Capitals’ left winger Alexander Ovechkin (pictured) and Chicago Blackhawks’ center Jonathan Toews will be forced to miss the next game for their respective teams. NHL rules state that any player who doesn’t play in the All-Star Game despite being elected will face a one-game suspension.

Ovechkin, who is tied for second in league with 28 goals will sit out because of a lower back injury. Shortly after the announcement, Capitals GM Brian MacLellan said, “We made this difficult decision after taking into consideration what we felt was best for Alex and our organization.”

He continued, “Alex has been an incredible ambassador for our team and the League but we believe it is better if he uses this time to heal and ideally be completely healthy for the duration of the season.”  The Capitals are thinking long-term here as they sit atop the entire league with 74 points and lead the league with 158 goals scored while only allowing 104, the fewest allowed by any team.

Toews currently has 35 points on the year and has been battling an illness that kept him out the third period of the Blackhawks’ 5-0 loss at Carolina on Tuesday. Blackhawks trainer Michael Terry said, “At this time, rest over the break is most important for him to properly recover and be fully healthy heading into the rest of the regular season.”

Both Washington and Chicago have their next game on Tuesday, Feb. 2, the Capitals host the Florida Panthers, while the Blackhawks will travel to Colorado to face off against the Avalanche.

Patrick Kane may have just signed an eight-year extension that makes him one of the highest-paid players in the NHL but the 26 year old has bigger things on his plate at the moment.

Police in Hamburg, N.Y. where Kane keeps his off season home have reported that they are investigating Kane after a woman came forward and alleged that Kane raped her last weekend.

According to the Buffalo News, who spoke with several law enforcement officials close to the investigation, the woman went to a nearby hospital where a rape kit was administered.

As of now though, Kane has yet to be officially charged with anything.

Social media places Kane at the Buffalo, N.Y., nightclub Sky Bar on August 2nd, a known hang out of Kane’s and allegedly where the woman and he met before adjourning to his lakefront property.

Both the Blackhawks organization and Kane’s agent have made statements to the press that neither confirm nor deny any allegations: “We are aware of the matter and are in the process of gathering information,” said the Blackhawks in a statement Thursday. “It would be inappropriate to comment further at this time.”

This is not the first in a string of troubled off seasons for the four-time All Star. In 2009, Kane and his cousin allegedly punched a cab driver for not having the correct change for their fare; the two pled guilty to a non criminal charge of disorderly conduct.

Three years after that incident, pictures, videos and eye witness accounts of Kane’s rowdy Cinco de Mayo party at the University of Wisconsin hit the web; Kane is described as “passed out,” “belligerent,” and even “choke[d] a girl.”

The Blackhawks star was also heard at this year’s Stanley Cup championship parade saying, “I know you’ve said I’ve been growing up, but watch out for me next week.”