There is a dynamic winger available who has won multiple Stanley Cup championships, a Conn Smythe Trophy, a Hart Trophy, an Art Ross Trophy, and has over 1200 points. That player is Patrick Kane who has already spoken to the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The Maple Leafs already have wingers like William Nylander, Mitch Marner, Tyler Bertuzzi, and Max Domi to use in the top nine if they want. Do they need to spend money on Patrick Kane? No, they don’t.
They like making big moves like this though so you should consider it to be a real possibility. With that in mind, it is also fair to believe that they aren’t the only team trying to add one of the greatest players to ever play.
Last year, Kane split the season between the Chicago Blackhawks and New York Rangers. He played in 73 games where he scored 21 goals and had 36 assists for 57 points. It was clear that he was dealing with an injury and that slowed his production down a bit.
He played in the playoffs with the Rangers but was defeated by the New Jersey Devils in the first round. Following that, he had off-season hip surgery which is why he is still out and doesn’t have a team.
Patrick Kane is getting ready to return to the NHL in the coming weeks.
Kane is a bit older now but that doesn’t mean he has nothing left to give to the NHL. He can still be a very productive player in the league for a long time if he is healthy. Right now, the rumors suggest that a few teams are in on this guy.
According to a piece by ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski, the Buffalo Sabres and Florida Panthers have been in on Kane. He also has the New York Rangers and Detroit Red Wings on his radar. All of the teams mentioned are in the Eastern Conference and all of them are playoff contenders.
It is clear that Kane has options and he might even end up with more money than he thought he was going to get if all of these teams are bidding for his services. It does seem, however, like playing for a winner is near the top of his priority list.
Kane has already made a ton of money in his career and he’ll be wealthy forever. He also knows what it is like to taste the championships and that seems to be driving him right now. The target was always late November or early December and we are almost there.
No matter where he ends up, it is going to be shocking news across the league. If his hip is okay and fully healed, he should make whatever team he signs with better right away. It is going to be fun to watch him return.