Patrick Kane Returns to the Blackhawks to Save Chicago's Early Season

Time is a flat circle, and so is the NHL transaction wire. Patrick Kane is officially heading back to the Chicago Blackhawks on a two-year deal, according to a report from Elliotte Friedman.

The 37-year-old is returning to the United Center after a three-year walkabout with the New York Rangers and Detroit Red Wings. It is the ultimate nostalgia play for a franchise that desperately needs something to put on the marquee while they wait for their actual timeline to start.

"Elliotte Friedman reported: 'The circle is complete. Patrick Kane is re-joining the Blackhawks on a two-year deal.'"

For context, franchise cornerstone Connor Bedard just had left shoulder surgery and is out until November. Without him, the Blackhawks' early-season offense was looking like a group project where nobody did the reading. Bringing Kane back gives the fans a reason to show up and buy a jersey they probably already own.

Do not let the age fool you into thinking this is just a retirement tour. Kane still has plenty of juice left in the tank. He put up 59 points in 72 games for Detroit last season, proving his surgically repaired hip is holding up better than most of our lower backs.

From a betting perspective, this does not suddenly turn Chicago into a Stanley Cup contender or move their win total into the stratosphere. They have finished dead last in the Central Division for three straight years. But it does make Kane an incredibly interesting target for player props, especially since he will be force-fed top-line minutes and power-play touches until Bedard gets back.

Kane already has 1,400 career points and three rings from his first run in Chicago. He is second in franchise history in points, trailing only Stan Mikita. He does not have anything left to prove, but he clearly wants to finish his career exactly where it started.

The real show starts in November when Bedard is finally cleared to play. Watching the greatest American-born player in NHL history share the ice with the kid drafted to replace him is going to be elite television. Until then, Kane gets to run the offense and remind everyone why the United Center used to be the loudest building in the league.