Kane has been a play-driving winger his entire career, capable of powering that line no matter who he is playing with. No matter who Chicago has rolled out with Kane, he has produced in a big way. This season that hasn’t been the case. Linemates Max Domi and Andreas Athanasiou have been having mini-revival seasons in Chicago. And Kane has certainly played with worse players. He has also not been very lucky. With multiple seasons shooting north of 16 percent, the career 11.5 percent shooter is scoring at a rate of half that this year (six percent).

Perhaps the biggest factor is Kane has been dealing with some nagging injuries that caused him to sit out three games this season. Watching his shifts closely, you can see that he isn’t quite 100 percent. He doesn’t have the same ‘pop’ to break away from defenders and create open space.

Next, the mental toll that all athletes go through when change is potentially on the horizon is absolutely real. Kane has been woven into the fabric of Chicago since 2007. There will be statues of Kane and Jonathan Toews outside the United Center one day and his jersey hanging in the rafters. Kane’s family has made the move to Chicago from Buffalo, they’re all rooted there. His dad is frequent visitor at morning skates, practices and even road games. Leaving all of that behind and heading into the unknown of another uniform and another city can weigh any player down, preventing him from being at his absolute best night in and night out. Yes, Kane holds all the cards here with the full ‘no-trade,’ but deep down he likely knows what is best for the team and that has to weigh on him. Those factors are real and cannot be discounted.

All in all, it’s likely a combination of all of the above that has been weighing down Kane’s production this season relative to his career.