The Patrick Kane injury has increased the pressure on Chicago Blackhawks GM Stan Bowman to enact a trade ahead of the NHL's March deadline.
Losing the NHL leader in goals would hinder any team - even one as deep as the Hawks - and it now has Bowman scrambling to add a piece.
According to a report from Mark Lazerus of the Chicago Sun-Times, Bowman has "significant interest" in both Columbus Blue Jackets forward Cam Atkinson and Arizona Coyotes forward Antoine Vermette.
TSN's Darren Dreger echoed those sentiments, pointing to the increased cap room created by the team's decision to put Kane on long-term injured reserve.
"I'd be really surprised if the Chicago Blackhawks weren't going to try to utilize the LTI cap space now created by Kane to add a piece. And say what you want about the players in play and who we believe to be available - Antoine Vermette is the best of the lot," Dreger said on an episode of Montreal's TSN 690, per NicholsOnHockey.com.
"So if Chicago doesn't find a way to get in there, then I'd be real surprised."
Bob McKenzie, appearing on NBCSN's NHL Live on Wednesday, said that there is now league-wide belief that Bowman will be much more aggressive considering the financial implications for next season and beyond - several expiring contracts and little cap room.
He also believes the focus will be Vermette.
"So now they will turn their attention to other players, and one of those players is Antoine Vermette," said McKenzie, per NicholsOnHockey.com. "A very useful center. Plays a strong two-way game. Can put points up on the board, can kill penalties, take faceoffs, good offensively, good defensively. He's an expiring contract, which works to the Chicago Blackhawks' advantage."
The price though, won't be cheap, as Lazerus notes that the asking price for both Vermette and Atkinson is likely a first-round pick in the 2015 NHL Draft.
