Golden Knights see firsthand what Patrick Kane can bring with trade deadline looming

By Danny Webster

Published Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2023 | 8:27 p.m.

Updated Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2023 | 11:40 p.m.

Maybe it's best if Patrick Kane beat the buzzer.

Creating a narrative in sports is usually the best-case scenario on some nights. What would come to be if Kane, who might have played his last game as Chicago's hero, beat Laurent Brossoit in time and put the finishing touches against a team that could trade for him in 10 days?

Alas, that didn't happen. Instead, the Golden Knights hung around a little bit longer, only to lose in a shootout 3-2 to the Blackhawks at United Center on Tuesday to end the Golden Knights' five-game winning streak coming out of the All-Star break.

Eyes will be on the Golden Knights once again between now and Noon on March 3, when the NHL's trade deadline passes. The guy that nearly beat them will be one of the star players at the forefront.

Vegas placed captain Mark Stone on long-term injured reserve Monday, creating an extra $9.5 million in long-term salary cap relief. Simply put, the Golden Knights are back in the big-game hunting realm when it comes to adding reinforcements for this final stretch run.

Presumably sitting near the top of the would-be wish list is Kane, the three-time Stanley Cup champion with the Blackhawks who will be an unrestricted free agent this summer.

If there was a time for the Golden Knights to strike while the iron is hot and make a play for Kane, you would think it'd be now.

Kane entered Tuesday's tilt with the Golden Knights with five goals in two games, including a hat trick Sunday in a 5-3 win over Toronto.

For all the talk of Kane's production (42 points in 53 games) and a nagging hip injury that may, or may not, need surgery, the last two games have shown that he can still contend for a championship given the right situation.

That, of course, comes down to Kane and waiving his full no-move clause between now and next Friday.

"He's the best part of their team when they get going, or the most dangerous," coach Bruce Cassidy said Monday. "He is the guy that we talk about in our pregame meetings."

The Golden Knights (34-18-5) proved a lot during this five-game winning streak. They may not have showed enough to prove they can contend for a Stanley Cup as currently constructed, but they've gotten back to playing strong defense in their own zone — a staple that was paramount during their nine-game winning streak back in October/November.

Tuesday might have been the leakiest the Golden Knights have looked on defense, but they got strong enough goaltending from Laurent Brossoit in his NHL start in almost a year to earn that win.

Brossoit, who was recalled from AHL Henderson shortly after the All-Star break in place of the injured Logan Thompson, made 37 saves and got the start due to a minor injury to Adin Hill.

Veteran Michael Hutchinson was recalled from Henderson on Monday to back up Brossoit.

"LB was huge for us," forward Keegan Kolesar said. "The score could've been completely different."

Brossoit made his first start since March 15. That night, he gave up four goals on 13 shots against Winnipeg. Shortly afterward, he was shut down for what would be the rest of the season and later underwent hip surgery in the offseason.

The goalie had been with Henderson since late October in what was initially a conditioning assignment but became lengthy due to the winning pattern of Hill and Thompson.

"I try not to have too many expectations," Brossoit said. "I just wanted to keep it simple and play my game. For the most part, I felt pretty good. A few jitters in the first period, but overall it was a net positive of how I felt."

Jack Eichel and Kolesar scored for the Golden Knights, who have outscored opponents 26-11 during this six-game point streak. 

And with just over two minutes remaining, that seemed to be all Vegas needed until Alex Pietrangelo was called for delay of game by clearing the puck over the glass.

Off an offensive-zone draw for Chicago, Kane found forward Tyler Johnson for a one-timer with 55 seconds remaining to tie it 2-2.

In the overtime period, off a turnover from Chandler Stephenson behind the Chicago net, Kane let go of a powerful slapshot on a breakaway that beat Brossoit as time expired, but the puck didn't cross the goal line in time.

Johnson scored the lone goal in the shootout, in the bottom of the third round, to give Chicago its third straight win.

"Having a lot of shot volume was big for the confidence," Brossoit said. "At the end of the day we didn't get the result we wanted. I'm still looking to get better."

Where the Golden Knights go from here is anyone's guess. There is an inkling of surprise knowing Kane didn't get on the Golden Knights' plane back to Las Vegas. It wouldn't be the first time Vegas made a trade with a team right after a loss; see Brad Hunt to Minnesota in 2019.

But perhaps the time isn't right now. The price might be going up if Kane clears the way for a trade, and if Vegas is on his list, the cupboard might be too bare for a potential rental.

And yet here we are, less than two weeks before the trade deadline, and the Golden Knights lead a wide-open Western Conference with plenty of wiggle room to make something happen.

It's about to be a hectic time over the next week and a half. And maybe, just maybe, this wasn't the last time the Golden Knights and Kane cross paths.

Danny Webster can be reached at 702-259-8814 or [email protected]. Follow Danny on Twitter at twitter.com/DannyWebster21.