Patrick Kane's upper-body injury is suspected to be a broken collarbone, Chris Kuc of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Kane's upper-body injury is suspected to be a broken collarbone, Chris Kuc of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Analysis:

While the Blackhawks haven't confirmed the nature of the injury nor an expected length of absence, sources from within the organization have informed the media that Kane is expected to miss more than six weeks and possibly up to 10-plus weeks with the injury. That timeframe would keep him out for the remainder of the regular season and likely extend deep into the playoffs, robbing the Blackhawks of their most productive playmaker. With no one available on the trade market to easily replace Kane's offensive output, the Blackhawks could begin to slide down the Western Conference standings.