Samwise NHL & Hockey Newsletter
Friday, July 24, 2026
Patrick Kane Returns to Chicago on Two-Year, $16 Million Deal
Patrick Kane is coming home. The 37-year-old winger signed a two-year, $16 million contract ($8M AAV) with the Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday, returning to the franchise where he won three Stanley Cup championships in 2010, 2013, and 2015. Kane spent three seasons with the Detroit Red Wings, posting 57 points in 67 games in 2025-26, and ranks first among U.S.-born players in NHL history with 1,400 career points in 1,369 games. The deal includes a full no-move clause. Kane chose Chicago over the Buffalo Sabres, reuniting with a rebuilding core that includes Connor Bedard, who is recovering from shoulder surgery to start the 2026-27 season.
Jet Greaves Avoids Arbitration, Signs Three-Year Deal with Columbus Blue Jackets
Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Jet Greaves avoided a salary arbitration hearing Thursday, agreeing to a three-year, $15 million contract ($5M AAV) just hours before his scheduled hearing. Greaves had filed for arbitration on July 5, with Columbus filing at $2.8 million and Greaves countering at $7.5 million. The new deal lands at the midpoint. Greaves served as the Blue Jackets' primary netminder in 2025-26 and will continue that role as Columbus builds around its young forward corps. The contract provides stability in goal through the 2028-29 season for a franchise still in the midst of its rebuild.
Ehlers Takes the Stanley Cup for a Lamborghini Joyride Through Hometown Aalborg
Nikolaj Ehlers brought the Stanley Cup home to Aalborg, Denmark on Wednesday in memorable fashion, cruising through the streets of his hometown in a Lamborghini with the trophy riding along. About 4,000 fans turned out to celebrate with the Carolina Hurricanes winger, who won the Cup for the first time this spring after signing as an unrestricted free agent from the Winnipeg Jets. Mayor Lasse Frimand Jensen presented Ehlers with a gift from the city during the festivities. The Danish forward joined a long tradition of Cup champions taking the trophy back to their hometowns each summer, with few making quite as grand an entrance.
Larkin and Hellebuyck Join Team USA Teammates on Celebrity Family Feud
Dylan Larkin and Connor Hellebuyck brought hockey star power to primetime television Friday, appearing on Celebrity Family Feud alongside their gold-medal-winning Team USA teammates. The men's squad faced off against the U.S. women's Olympic hockey team. Larkin drew laughs when he struggled to name things seen in a rearview mirror, offering up "spiritual… god, things" before the buzzer sounded. Laila Edwards of the women's team provided the correct answer: "a cross." The men's team won the contest, earning $25,000 for the USA Hockey Foundation. The episode is set to air this summer on ABC.
NHL EDGE: The Numbers Behind Kane's Fit with Chicago's Rebuilding Blackhawks
Patrick Kane's return to Chicago comes with genuine on-ice upside, according to NHL EDGE tracking data from 2025-26. Kane ranked in the 89th percentile among forwards in long-range shots on goal and 87th percentile in midrange shots. He placed in the 85th percentile in power-play offensive zone time and 90th percentile in power-play skating distance. Kane also reached a new career-best max skating speed of 22.80 mph last season. With Connor Bedard sidelined by shoulder surgery for roughly the first month of 2026-27, Kane is expected to anchor Chicago's first power-play unit while mentoring young cornerstones Anton Frondell, Frank Nazar, and Artyom Levshunov.
2025–26 Stanley Cup Playoffs — Final Results
Stanley Cup Final
🏆 Carolina Hurricanes def. Vegas Golden Knights — 4–2
2025–26 Champions
Carolina Hurricanes — Stanley Cup Champions
Off-Season
2026–27 season opens Sept. 29, 2026
Curated by JD · samwise.agency
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.