By now, everyone in the hockey world has seen the video: A post-surgery Patrick Kane, on the ice and working out and coming soon to a hockey market near you.
Kane, who is an unrestricted free agent for the first time in his 16-year NHL career, has made it clear since undergoing hip surgery in June that while he’s fully motivated to continue playing, he’s in no rush to sign with his next squad. Health is priority No. 1 at the moment for the 34-year-old, but it shouldn’t be long now until the rumour mill ramps up about where, exactly, the three-time Stanley Cup champion will land.
Part of what makes this particular story so interesting is that he’s essentially poised to be a rental, albeit about two months ahead of the deadline, for whichever team he signs with. His intentions are reportedly set at signing a one-year deal with a franchise before looking to enter the open market next summer when the salary cap is expected to rise and he won’t need to factor in a lengthy post-surgery rehabilitation routine into his decision.
With all this in mind, here are six potential destinations for Kane’s next NHL stop, all of which pose some interesting — and fun — possibilities as the longtime Blackhawk takes aim at his next stop.
The homecoming: Buffalo Sabres
This one makes all kinds of sense. For one thing, Kane hails from Buffalo and after such a long and successful tenure in Chicago, it would be a fitting time for a homecoming for the 34-year-old. Beyond that, he’s got a personal connection with the club’s general manager, Kevyn Adams. As Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman pointed out in his latest edition of 32 Thoughts, Adams was Kane’s first NHL road roommate — Adams’ final year in the NHL, and lone season with the Blackhawks, coincided with Kane’s rookie campaign. As Friedman noted, Adams “also made sure to invite him for dinner when the team was at home. They’ve maintained a good relationship.”
But a Kane-to-Buffalo connection isn’t all personal — it also makes sense financially and from a pure hockey standpoint, too. The Sabres are projected to have the third-most cap space of any franchise. Bringing in a star veteran on a short-term deal before all those young stars get paid could be the perfect way to help the team — one that finished last season on a high and looks ready to finally make the jump into contention in 2023-24 — as it transitions into its new era of competing.
The linemate reunion: Detroit Red Wings
The Red Wings might be the most popular rumour-mill destination to land Kane right now. Similar to Buffalo, this union does make sense from both a financial and on-ice standpoint. The team is young and stocked with talent expected to take another step towards the playoffs, and the salary cap space is certainly there. Only five teams are projected to have more space than Steve Yzerman’s squad.
But the biggest and best reason this is a pairing that could work? It’s all about Alex DeBrincat. DeBrincat was dealt to Detroit after a down year in Ottawa that ended with all parties needing a fresh start (and DeBrincat needing a new contract, too). What better way to help the hometown kid thrive on his new team than by bringing in his old linemate from Chicago? DeBrincat enjoyed breakout success in Chicago alongside Kane, and the veteran looked revitalized by his linemate, too. The duo could bring instant firepower to the Red Wings’ playoff hopes if reunited.
The deadline do-over (and other linemate reunion): New York Rangers
The Kane-to-the-Rangers deadline deal was the NHL’s worst-kept secret last winter, but after all that lead-up to the deal finally getting done, the payoff was ultimately pretty disappointing all around, especially considering the club’s all-in approach that included landed fellow goal-scorer Vladimir Tarasenko. After putting up a respectable 12 points in 19 games down the stretch with his new team, Kane and the Rangers were ousted early by a New Jersey Devils squad that was simply too fast to keep up with. All those musings about the Kane-Artemi Panarin reunion were cut short.
Just as he’d expressed his desire to play for the Rangers — and only the Rangers — last spring, he wasn’t shy to voice his will to return for another shot with the club this year. It’s clear that during his short stint with New York last spring he wasn’t 100 per cent. He will be this time, which makes a do-over an intriguing idea worth exploring if the Rangers can pull it off cap-wise.
The union we want to see: New Jersey Devils
Rather than join that team that could have another spring date with New Jersey, maybe Kane hops on the commuter train and heads to New Jersey, instead.
The Devils’ roster is young, fast, and full of sharp goal-scorers who took a step forward last season but could likely benefit from a veteran presence that knows a thing or two (or three) about what it takes to win it all. The Kane comparisons have followed Devils star Jack Hughes since before he donned an NHL sweater, and it would be a lot of fun to see the two USA Hockey stars join forces, if only for a few months. Cap-wise, it’s tough — with new deals for Timo Meier, and Jesper Bratt on the books, and Hughes entering the second years of his $8-million AAV, the Devils are slated to have just shy of $2 million in space.
The Cup-run contender: Vegas Golden Knights
If we’ve learned anything about the Vegas Golden Knights over their six seasons of existence, it’s that they are always in on the big-name players, cap space be damned. No list of potential destinations is complete without at least a mention of Vegas, as even when their salary cap is maxed out, they manage to shop free agency and trade markets with success. And while this year’s situation looks more impossible than most — the defending Cup champs are in the red with mere days until the regular season opens up — it’s worth including the Golden Knights on this list thanks to their status as repeat contenders and their overall success in hockey’s most popular new market.
At this stage in Kane’s career, he’s targeting another shot at the Cup and you can’t get much closer than the reigning champions. The franchise is a favourite to run it back, and with a handful of cornerstone players entering contract years, this could be a fascinating campaign full of change in Vegas. Bringing in Kane on what would essentially be a rental deal would really up the intrigue.
The wild card: Florida Panthers
Just a few months after their upset-filled Cinderella-like run to the Stanley Cup Final, the Panthers find themselves in a precarious position to open 2023-24. Franchise cornerstones Aaron Ekblad and Brandon Montour are expected to be sidelined until about December following off-season shoulder surgeries, and while Matthew Tkachuk is back in good health it’s hard to see how this team can pick up where they left off right out of the gates.
Kane’s NHL arrival could coincide with a similar timeline to that of the Panthers’ star defenders… what better way to boost your odds mid-season than with the injection of Ekblad, Montour, and Kane?
The Panthers were reportedly interested in Kane this summer. Florida’s no longer just the hockey market players go to retire… though it could be a nice sunny way for Kane to open up the final chapter of his career, no?