Patrick Kane has Jeff Blashill back in the middle of Chicago's loudest summer idea.
The new chatter around Kane's future pulls 4 teams into the frame: the Blackhawks, Sabres, Maple Leafs, and Wild. It also keeps pushing Detroit further out of the picture.
Chicago is the name that hits hardest. Kane is not just another free agent there. He is still one of the biggest players in franchise history, and a return would change the whole feel around Blashill's first season.
Buffalo makes clean hockey sense too. Daily Faceoff tied the Sabres to Kane as a team that could use scoring, and the hometown angle has been hanging over this file for weeks.
Toronto is still lurking because the Maple Leafs want help on the wing and are clearly operating in win-now mode under Jim Hiller. Minnesota is the tougher fit, but it keeps getting mentioned because Kane still moves the needle for teams trying to add offense without a long commitment.
The one thing all 4 teams have in common is this: Kane can still help. He is 37 and coming off 16 goals and 57 points in 67 games, which is still top-six production in this market.
" Frank Seravalli: Re Patrick Kane future: I'd imagine that the 'Hawks have been following this situation like a small handful of other teams...including the Sabres, the Maple Leafs; do the Wild have a place where he could fit - Mully & Haugh (7/9) "
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Patrick Kane's next team is starting to come into focus
That is because the Blackhawks can sell more than ice time. They can sell familiarity, legacy, and a chance for Kane to matter in the same sweater where he won 3 Stanley Cups.
Chicago also needs more proven offense. The Blackhawks finished 29-39-14 with 72 points, so this is not a team that can pretend one more scoring winger would not matter.
Buffalo has the best recent team result of the group at 50-23-9 for 109 points, while Minnesota finished with 104 and Toronto fell all the way to 78. That leaves Kane staring at very different paths depending on whether he wants comfort, fit, or the cleanest shot to win.
"David Pagnotta: Where's Patty Kane gonna go, it doesn't seem like it's Detroit; Buffalo, does he go home; Chicago, a return there - Sekeres & Price (7/6)"
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The contract side should stay simple. Kane played last season on a 1-year deal worth $3,000,000, so this is not shaping up like a long-term bet for anyone chasing him.
That is why Chicago keeps pulling attention. Buffalo may be the most logical hockey fit, and Toronto may still sniff around, but the Blackhawks offer something the others cannot. They offer Patrick Kane a return that would mean more than just another contract.
And when a player with 1,400 NHL points, 3 Cups, and that kind of franchise history is still sitting there in July, emotion starts to matter almost as much as cap space. That is exactly why this story still feels alive in Chicago.
Should the Blackhawks bring Patrick Kane back now?
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