"Patrick Kane likes the changes. In fact, he sounds as if he fully appreciates the moves general manager Stan Bowman made for the Blackhawks in hopes of adding more toughness and grit.

After all, the high-scoring winger likes having someone around to watch his back on the ice.

"You look at some of the players we got, they all seem really tough and really able to grind it out," Kane told ­reporters at O'Hare Airport as the team unveiled the Blackhawks/Stanley's Kitchen & Tap restaurant.

"I don't think you can ever have more than enough on the team. Especially with our team, you look at so many skilled players we have that I think last year — I don't want to say [we] got exposed — but we weren't protected enough maybe as years before. Stan and everyone did a great job of doing things that needed to be done."

At the conclusion of last season, Kane said the Hawks' skilled lineup could use more of an in-your-face element. "