Still unsigned, UFA Patrick Kane is working his way back from off-season hip surgery and the expectation is that he could join an NHL team as soon as next month.
The top candidates for his services are well known. The Buffalo Sabres are Kane’s hometown team and have an expectation to step up into the playoff picture in 2023-24. If he goes there, it would be akin to Claude Giroux’s decision to sign in Ottawa. With one win in four games, though, we’ll have to see if the Sabres can start earning more points here soon.
The Florida Panthers have also been mentioned as a potential landing spot for Kane. In 32 Thoughts two weeks ago, Elliotte Friedman noted that the Panthers were “very aggressive” on Kane in the summer.
And, of course, the New York Rangers are the team Kane guided a trade towards last season and they are thought to still be in the picture.
On the 32 Thoughts Podcast, and on his own radio show, Jeff Marek has opined about Dallas being a fit for Kane. On Friday, Friedman talked about what he’s heard on that front.
“Someone was listening to the podcast the other day and gave me a call and said that they are buying your theory on Patrick Kane and Dallas,” Friedman said. “There’s been a lot of talk about Buffalo. There’s been some talk about the Rangers. I’ve been pushing Florida because I do think right from July 1 Florida was aggressive in letting it be known they wanted Kane to go there.
“Put it this way, he said if he was putting down money he’d put money down on the Stars.”
If chasing a Stanley Cup with a good team is a high priority for Kane, then why not the Stars? Last year’s Western Conference finalists have two wins this season and have earned at least a point in all three games they’ve played so far. They have a nice mix of veteran and young talent and had the league’s seventh-best offence last season.
There is one potential negative to Dallas, however.
“The only thing this person said to me about Dallas that he doesn’t like for Kane is that Dallas does not have great travel,” Friedman said. “Unfortunately they are in a bit of the middle of nowhere when it comes to the rest of their opponents. However it’s a great place to play, it’s a really good team and Dallas is one of those teams that can play fast, east-west, they can play all sorts of different ways and he thinks it’s a fit for Kane in that way. Just something to remember.”
Buzz around Kane picked up at the end of September when his agency released video of the winger on the ice, preparing for a return.
Kane scored 16 goals and 45 points in 54 games with the lowly Chicago Blackhawks last season and then added five goals and 12 points in 19 regular season games after being traded to the Rangers. He suited up for seven playoff games with New York as well, scoring once and recording five assists.
While the Sabres, Panthers, Rangers and Stars have all been discussed as potential landing spots for the future Hall of Famer, Friedman did note the video Kane’s agency released “had its intended effect” and that there is plenty of interest in him around the league.