With the season about to get underway, there are still several notable free agents out of the market including Patrick Kane.
NHL Rumors: Patrick Kane, and Devon Toews
Kane is recovering from hip resurfacing surgery in the offseason and is looking to play again this season. He remains on his timeline to get back on the ice and with a team, but it will come down to which teams have the cap space to sign him and what is Kane looking for in his next contract.
Dave Pagnotta of the Fourth Period joined Steve Kouleas and Mike McKenna on the Power Play last week and said that there are several options presented before Patrick Kane before he can make a decision.
Steve Kouleas: “We are waiting on one UFA and we are into October. I saw the Amway video that Patrick Kane put out last week. I bought shares in the pyramid. No, I am just kidding. I believe he is healthy and he will be in the NHL, where and for how much?”
Dave Pagnotta: “Well, as we have talked before, November is the timeline as to when he is expected to be ready to get going again in terms of getting me into an NHL situation. Let me hit the ice. Let me start rolling into practice and however long it takes to get game ready.
A week, two weeks. Maybe a little more. Then you kinda go from there. He does not want to rush this. This was something that was made clear at the start of free agency to all teams that expressed interest. He wants to make sure he’s healthy and ready to go and wants to play beyond this season.
He wants to play a few more years at least in the National Hockey League. So for him, the priority was to make sure you’re healthy. Make sure you are good to go and then join a team from there. He wants to be fair on that side of things too.
And I think being the competitor and the champ that he is and with his representation, they want to be transparent from the get-go with some of the teams. Whether it is Buffalo or Dallas or whomever else. There is Colorado and so on, and there are teams that have an interest in this player.
NHL Rumors: Is Patrick Kane A Fit in Toronto or Buffalo?
Some of them may need to make cap-related moves or risk the possibility of not getting him locked in. The question here with Patrick Kane is, do you go one year and see how the season goes then explore something more long-term and probably more financially beneficial for him or do you try to bang out a multi-year deal out of the gate?
You could go in either option. It really comes down to the finances on this one. Wouldn’t be surprised to see a one year and then see where things kinda go from there. And depending on which teams are really at the table here, it is going to come down to cap space they have to play.
Is he willing to take a little bit less on a one-year? See how the season moves on and then from there. That’s something he has to weigh out as well.