One of the main question marks of the fall (or the approaching winter) is who the experienced Patrick Kane will end up signing. There is a lot of interest in the NHL for the 34-year-old forward, who underwent hip surgery in June and is waiting to sign a new contract until he is ready to jump into full training. At the moment, there is mainly speculation about four teams that would like to catch the star American.
Patrick Kane, who basically played in the NHL from 2007 until the spring of 2023 only in the jersey of Chicago, experienced his first move within the league last season when he was traded to the New York Rangers. The goal of this transfer was two things – to help Chicago rebuild and to get Kane to a team that had ambitions to succeed in the playoffs.
However, the desired success did not come and the American hockey player and the Riders were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs. With a bitter taste of disappointment, Kane entrusted himself to the care of a surgeon and underwent hip surgery in order to get rid of the discomfort and continue to play at a top level.
At the same time, because of the surgery, he decided not to look for a job until he was fully healed. However, his recovery from surgery is reportedly going very well, and the three-time Stanley Cup winner has already tasked his agent to begin tapping-up talks with some NHL teams.
Although there is no concrete information about who the agent Pat Brisson is talking to, the names of four teams are being floated overseas, which should be interested in adding the author of 1237 Canadian points (451+786) to their rosters.
It probably won’t surprise anyone that Rangers would be interested in Kane’s return. Kane played a total of 26 games in the Riders last season, including the playoffs, in which he scored six goals and added twelve assists. Although Kane will turn 35 next Sunday, general manager Chris Drury is aware of his qualities and a similar addition is simply a good fit for an organization with the highest ambitions.
He thinks the same way in Florida. The Panthers are also very active in talks with Brisson, according to several insiders. Plus, when it comes to Florida itself, this sunny and warm area is a popular destination for freelancers. And considering the fact that Florida was in the Stanley Cup finals this spring and wants to make a playoff run this year, it might be tempting for Kane to head there.
The problem for the Panthers and Rangers, however, is that they have practically no room under the salary cap, and they simply cannot afford Kane without significant changes to their rosters.
Back to hometown?
Buffalo is also rumored to be in the hunt for Kane. Kane is a native of Buffalo, so enticing him to come home seems like a logical choice for the Sabres. In addition, general manager Kevyn Adams is Kane’s former Chicago teammate, so he knows what the American could be worth in negotiations.
Last but not least, the Sabers are on the rise, and last season this team was just one point short of the top eight in the Eastern Conference. Buffalo wants to compete for the Stanley Cup for the first time since 2011, and the acquisition of the experienced Kane could greatly help this young staff.
At the same time, they have similar ideas in Detroit. Although general manager Steve Yzerman proclaimed in the summer that he is not afraid to sacrifice the 2023/24 season for the sake of the future, the Red Wings’ performances so far indicate that the dry years without the playoffs may well be over.
The imaginary x-factor is Alex DeBrincat, who is thriving at Michigan. And DeBrincat, with whom Kane played for five seasons in Chicago and was one of his favorite teammates, is said to be attracting Detroit Patrick Kane.
In addition, the Red Wings, like the Sabres, can afford to pay Kane, which may be decisive in the negotiations for him.
Or everything could be different. It must not be forgotten that Pat Brisson has only started the first talks and other organizations may join the pack of wolves who will want to acquire the experienced forward in their ranks. However, the question of where the steps of the star American will eventually lead could soon be resolved.
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