Chicago Blackhawks Star Placed on IR

Patrick Kane is currently the most-talked-about rental candidate in the rumor mill. It is understandable, as he is an elite talent on an expiring deal who is playing for the worst team in the league. Yet, the trade buzz will need to be put on hold temporarily, as the star winger has been placed on injured reserve. 

Kane last played on Jan. 3, so his IR placement is retroactive to that date. As a result, he can return to the lineup at any time once he is feeling better, as a week has already gone by. However, Kane thankfully has noted that he is feeling better since suffering his injury, so there's some hope that he could be good to go for this weekend.

This IR placement opened up a roster spot for Mackenzie Entwistle to be activated from IR. The 23-year-old has had a fairly quiet season thus far, as he has just two goals and five points to go along with a minus-7 rating in 33 games. Let's see if he can heat up a bit now that he is good to go. As for Kane, let's see how long this IR placement lasts. 

photo credit: © Daniel Bartel-USA TODAY Sports