The Stanley Cup Final kicks off tonight, and I am hoping to see the Cats bring it home for the first win in franchise history. However, more importantly, with the final round kicking off, it means we are one step closer to the silly season, and Hawks news will become more relevant and give us more to discuss. Here is a quick hit list of things that came out this week concerning the Hawks.

Patrick Kane Will Not Be A Hawk
This week at the combine, Blackhawk Beat writers caught up with Kyle Davidson to discuss a few different topics, one of which was the idea of bringing Patrick Kane back to Chicago. KD essentially doubled down on his stance, saying, "I think we made some really tough decisions on some longstanding players. I don’t foresee us going back on that.” I can see both sides of this situation, but you have to almost wonder if there is more to the story and if the way Kaner was almost pushed out of Chicago has left a bad taste in both parties  mouths. Could this be KD not trying to look weak and trying to prove a point in what he says goes? Who knows, there could also be nothing to the story and just fans looking for some drama. Personally, I believe that Kaner will be back in the UC next season on the visitors bench, but never say never on a return down the line.

Jake Guentzel You Are A Hawk?
This year's free agent class isn’t going to be deep, so any good player available is going to have an advantage come July 1st. Guentzel is one of the bigger names available and has made it clear he intends to hit the open market, which has Carolina offering his signing rights for a midround draft pick. Elliot Friedman woke up and chose violence, saying not to count out the Hawks when signing the forward. KD is saying the team needs to take the next step in the rebuild and be better this season, so this is a move that makes sense in those terms. However, I am not sure if, in the long term, this is the right move. Guentzel will be 30 next season, so this will be his last chance to cash in on a big ticket. Are the Hawks willing to dish out the amount of money he might be asking for, or could KD work some of his voodoo magic and convince him to sign a 3-year deal and overpay to make it worth it? I, by all means, will not turn away having a player like Guentzel on this team, but it absolutely cannot guarantee the future of this team.

Couple Picks Up For Grabs
More news is coming out of the combine. It sounds like the New Jersey Devils 10th overall pick and the Buffalo Sabres 11th overall pick are available in a trade. Getting the 10th is going to be difficult for the Hawks, as the Devils are going to be looking for a player that is going to make an impact right away. They are a team that should be playing for a playoff spot, not in the draft lottery like this past season. The Hawks don’t seem to have the pieces that will fit what the Devils are looking for. Buffalo has their eyes set on a top-6 forward, and the Hawks could potentially make something work there. It might be a stretch, but could Buffalo take a chance on, say, Philip Kurashev, who had a breakout season last year? It might be a tough sell, but after KD traded up already in the draft, could he send Kurashev, the 18th overall, and the 50th to move to 11? It could be worth it, depending on who’s still on the board.

On This Date
Just to remind everyone of the good old days, I give you the Heartbreak:

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Thats going to be it for me today hope everyone enjoys their weekend and game one of the Final. Ill be back Monday with the next edition of the Prospect Spotlight Series.

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