Patrick Kane is still out there, and Todd McLellan knows exactly what kind of scorer a contender could still land.
The bigger story on July 13 is that this market is tightening, not waiting. The top unsigned forwards are still available, but the best roster fits won't stay open much longer.
Kane sits near the top of that board for a reason.
He put up 57 points in 67 games with the Detroit Red Wings last season and still looks like a player who can help a power play right away.
Anthony Mantha may be the most surprising name left.
He scored 33 goals and finished with 64 points in 81 games for the Pittsburgh Penguins, which usually gets a winger signed early in July.
That's why the tone around these names has shifted. Early in free agency, teams shop for value. By mid-July, they start locking camp plans, and the room for long negotiations gets smaller.
Vladimir Tarasenko still brings scoring touch, even if he's no longer in his peak years.
He posted 47 points in 75 games with the Minnesota Wild and still fits as a middle-six add for a team chasing depth.
Michael Bunting is a different bet, but he has a lane. He had 33 points in 74 games split between the Nashville Predators and Dallas Stars, and his edge game still has value in a bottom six.
The waiting game is almost over for Patrik Laine
Patrik Laine remains the wild card of the group. He played only 5 games for the Montreal Canadiens last season, and that kind of uncertainty changes the market even when the talent is obvious.
The long view makes Laine even tougher to price. He has appeared in 299 of 557 possible games since 2018-19, a number that pushes teams to move carefully.
Kane and Tarasenko can still wait for the right fit. Mantha and Bunting may be looking at teams that miss on other options first, then circle back once budgets get tighter.
That's why this feels close to moving. The names are too big, the openings are too few, and clubs don't like dragging unresolved roster spots deep into the summer.
So this is less about who is still unsigned and more about who blinks first. The next wave of signings should come soon, because the window is no longer opening. It's closing.
Will Patrick Kane be the next major forward to sign?
Also read on Markerzone.com:
Patrick Kane's free agency chase narrows to four teams
