NHL Network: Elliotte Friedman when asked if Chicago Blackhawks forward Patrick Kane could be playing with another team next season, particularly Buffalo.
** NHLRumors.com transcription
“Look, there were teams asking about Pat Kane at the deadline. I think Colorado did and I think the Rangers did and I’m sure there were others but I believe those were at least two teams.
Chicago is walking an interesting line here. They have made it known that everybody without a no-trade clause can be asked about. And there is three guys with no-trade clauses – Kane, (Jonathan) Toews and (Seth) Jones.
I think that, my sense is, what Chicago is looking at here is, let Kane and Toews in particular, get their feet on the ground with where this team is going. As in, they’re probably not going to be very good for a while.
I think what Chicago wants is, do you ever want the position that you’re the team that drove those guys out of your city or do you want to be able to say everybody here had a conversation about what’s the right thing and we think the right thing may be to… Patrick Kane said last year that he doesn’t want to leave Chicago.
So I think what they’re waiting for, does the day come where Kane says, ‘you know what, this is better if I go somewhere else.’
Jackie Redmond:
“This losing thing ain’t so fun.”
Friedman:
“Buffalo, I know it’s a romantic storey but the truth is, if it’s a trade as opposed to free agency, Chicago is going to try and get the best possible deal. And I would be curious to think, does Buffalo think that now is the right time for them to do that because look, they jut traded for Ben Bishop to get to the cap floor, which says to me that they’re going to have to wait until they have to pay Tage Thompson, Rasmus Dahlin, Owen Power. They think that that’s the right move for them.”