Stars without engagements! What will happen to former Chicago mainstays and where will Russian Tarasenko move?

Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews or Vladimir Tarasenko – these are the stars who are currently uncommitted and on the unrestricted free agent list. All of this trio will likely have to go down in salary, so where were they able to anchor themselves for the upcoming season?

Patrick Kane

He wanted out of Chicago at any cost. The main reason was the state of mind within the team, after all the Blackhawks are still in big trouble, with a multi-year rebuild still not over.

So Kane headed to the Rangers during the last NHL season, where he scored 12 points (5+7) in 19 games. Thanks to Tarasenko’s arrival, the New York team became a serious title contender, but their playoff journey ended in the first round.

After the season ended, Kane became an unrestricted free agent and had hip surgery. It’s already clear that he won’t be able to start the new season and is expected to return sometime in December.

And with a still recent salary of $10.5 million, it’s likely he won’t sign with any club until then. So it’s a big question as to where he might be headed. Not many offers will be on the table for Kane, with the most common speculation overseas being possible interest from the Buffalo Sabres or New Jersey Devils.

Jonathan Toews

Jonathan Toews first stepped into the NHL in the 2007-08 season and has never played for a club other than Chicago, much like Kane. However, as CapFriendly reports, the Blackhawks’ second legend is out of contract and there is no plan to sign him in Chicago.

It should be noted, the 35-year-old forward will have a much harder time finding a new deal. And he’ll definitely have to take a pay cut. Significantly. He won’t be signed for $10.5 million anymore, compared to Kane, he’ll be more likely to give out experience and guide the youngsters.

I should add, he missed the 2020/21 season entirely due to injury, and well, he only scored 37 and 31 points in the next two. Toews is thus, like Kane, on the unrestricted free agent list, and has only been seriously linked to one club so far. And that’s with Edmonton.

Vladimir Tarasenko

Thirty-one-year-old Tarasenko is still one of the better acquisitions in the NHL. After years in St. Louis, he moved to the Rangers during the past season. A team that was definitely one of the favorites to win the Stanley Cup.

But New York was eliminated in the first round. Tarasenko scored 21 points in 31 regular season games and added four more in the playoffs. However, in the previous season he was very productive, scoring 82 points (34+48) in 75 games for the Blues.

The Russian forward will have the easiest time getting a new contract of the three. A few days ago he was headed to Carolina, but then he fired his agent and now he is most seriously linked to the Ottawa Senators.

And the other stars…

As for other star or still solid players, Matt Dumba, Josh Bailey, Tomas Tatar, Oscar Klefbom and Jonathan Bernier are also on the unrestricted free agent list.

Sources: NHL, Elite Prospects, CapFriendly