Few things speak more powerfully to the myopia of professional sports than the fact that the rape investigation involving Patrick Kane has triggered massive interest in trading for the star forward while he is potentially attainable in a deal.
In a piece Tuesday, Mark Lazerus of the Chicago Sun-Times revealed that no fewer than five different NHL clubs not only thought about trading for a player under investigation for such a serious offence, but had actually gone so far as to contact the Chicago Blackhawks after the news broke:
At least five teams contacted the Hawks once the Buffalo News first reported the investigation—which involves Kane and a woman at his Hamburg home—and said they’d be willing trade partners should the Hawks decide to cut ties with their superstar winger, according to a league source.