"The Blackhawks' Patrick Kane really only needed his doctor to answer one big question during an appointment Monday to assess his recovery from wrist surgery: Will he be ready for the upcoming season?

"For the start of the season, no question at all I'll be 100 percent," Kane told the Tribune on Tuesday. "I actually asked my doctor that question and he said, 'You'll be ready way before that.' When you hear that, it's good news."

Kane, who had surgery to repair a scaphoid fracture in his left wrist July 19, said everything is on schedule in his recovery and that he's hopeful to be ready for the beginning of training camp Sept. 15 — but acknowledged it's possible he could miss the start of it.

"Right now, from what I hear from my doctor, the team and the trainers … I expect to be at training camp and definitely ready to go," Kane said. "(But) there's really no timetable for what date it's going to be. If it's the 15th or if it's the 20th or whatever it might be, I'm sure I'll be in there before the regular season and certainly not long after training camp starts — if not when it starts.""