It's down to two: Patrick Kane's decision is getting closer

Patrick Kane still hasn't signed, and Friday brings word the Blackhawks and Sabres are both still in play.

Scott Powers reported the two clubs remain options for the pending unrestricted free agent, and neither has closed the door.

Scott Powers reports that the Chicago Blackhawks and Buffalo Sabres both remain as options for UFA F Patrick Kane.

That's notable given how different these two situations are. Buffalo just finished 50-23-9, good for 109 points and fourth in the league standings.

Chicago finished 29-39-14. Seventy-two points. A minus-62 goal differential that ranked among the worst in the sport.

One team is chasing a Cup. The other is still finding its identity under first-year head coach Jeff Blashill.

So why would Kane's camp keep both doors open this late into the summer? Money, fit, and legacy rarely point the same direction at once.

Buffalo already has scoring depth up front and enters next season looking like a genuine contender in the East.

Why Chicago still makes sense for Kane

Chicago is a different pitch entirely. It's the city where Kane won three Stanley Cups, built a statue-worthy career, and became the face of a franchise for over a decade.

Lindy Ruff runs the bench in Buffalo now, hired back in April of 2024, and he knows exactly what a healthy scoring winger could still add on that service line.

Jeff Blashill inherited a rebuild in Chicago, not a finished product. Adding a 37-year-old rental scorer complicates a timeline that's supposed to center on youth.

Here's the tension nobody's resolving publicly. Buffalo offers a real shot at winning now. Chicago offers a sentimental final chapter with familiar buildings and familiar fans.

Kane doesn't need the money at this stage of his career. Whatever he decides comes down to circumstance, not cap space.

Buffalo's power play has been a weapon all year, and adding a proven playmaker to that group would only make life harder on opposing penalty kills.

Chicago, meanwhile, needs a reason for fans to show up on a Tuesday in November. A returning legend does that in a way rebuilding rosters usually can't.

Neither front office has said anything on record. Powers' report is the clearest signal yet that this decision hasn't been made, and it might not be for a while.