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The next landing spot for star forward Patrick Kane is still to be determined but it appears that a homecoming, a return to a strong team and a move to a former rival all appear to be on the table.
The winger is still a free agent and was projected to miss “four-to-six months” after undergoing hip resurfacing surgery in the offseason. He remains highly sought after, especially for a playoff push, and Frank Seravalli of the Daily Faceoff reported that the Buffalo Sabres, Detroit Red Wings and New York Rangers are contenders to sign Kane.
Seravalli wrote that the Rangers are “paying attention to Kane, while adding the star has also been “keeping an eye on” the Red Wings.
The 34-year-old remains a dominant force in the league. He has scored 451 goals and 1,237 points across his 16-season career, earning four All-Star selections, the 2015-16 Hart Trophy and helping the Chicago Blackhawks win three Stanley Cups.
He scored 21 goals and have 57 points in 73 games between Chicago and the Rangers in 2022-23 and a return to the Big Apple would certainly be appealing if the goal is to win another Stanley Cup. New York won 47 games in 2022-23 and look like a strong contender in the Eastern Conference.
The issue with a return to the Rangers comes with the salary cap as the team has just just $675,085 in salary cap space. While that may be enough to get Kane to agree to a one-year deal and set himself up for a healthy free-agency period next summer, the Rangers are not the best option when it comes to long-term stability.
The Red Wings are an up-and-coming team that is looking to take a step forward in 2023-24. The team has not qualified for the postseason since 2016, which ended the legendary 25-season playoff streak. Detroit has been building, and a dynamic playmaker like Kane could help the young core break through in the loaded Atlantic Division, even if it is nightmare fuel for Blackhawk fans.
Finally, the Sabres may be the most intriguing option. Kane is a Buffalo native, so potentially ending his career playing in front of his hometown crowd may be something of interest to him. The Sabres possess the longest postseason drought (12 seasons) in the NHL, but they do have a young core developing and are also a contender to make noise in the Atlantic.
Wherever Kane ends up, it will likely at least be a team that is in postseason contention, and he certainly could provide a late season offensive spark.
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