His boyish appearance means he won't be mistaken for a grizzled veteran, but Patrick Kane isn't the same wide-eyed teen he was when he became the Blackhawks' first No. 1 overall draft selection in July. Forty-one games in his first NHL season have taught Kane plenty, including how to accurately assess his performance. "Overall, I thought I was above average," Kane, 19, said of his play during the first half of the season. "Not great, not bad. The start was a little slow, and then after that I seemed to pick it up for a bit. Then maybe the grind catches up to you and you go through a little bit of a slump. Now I kind of know what it takes to get through those times." Kane has nine goals and 30 assists and joins teammate Jonathan Toews among the front-runners for the Calder Trophy, given to the league's top rookie. He ranks first among rookies in assists and is 10th in the NHL in that category.