Patrick Kane rumored to be going to Buffalo

[Godin]

I know he's been rumored to be going to just about half the teams in the league, but this seems pretty solid and makes sense because Buffalo has the cap space.

https://www.hawksinsider.com/Breakin...ng-Home-299251

[Belexus75]

They may need to ban all the Taxis in Buffalo before this move is made but otherwise it makes sense for him to go home!

[LuigiC173]

makes sense, he's 34, won it all several times, has oodles of money, he's a father and prob wants to be close to family. I'm sure he knows his best days behind him and he's better off as a depth scorer not the focal point somewhere.

[pmorrow]

I don't know if that source being linked to on twitter is legit, but Frank Seravalli did do a Q&A tonight where he predicted Buffalo for Kane, so...

[Godin]

And now, Tage Thompson will be out long term after an injury tonight.

[plug]

Please no, he’s gonna screw up chemistry like he did in NYR

[pmorrow]

And now, Tage Thompson will be out long term after an injury tonight.

A bad loss, a goalie pull and a major injury...not a great night for selling Kane on the Sabres.

[PenguinHunter]

Can Kane step right in and start replacing Thompson's production.

[2014olympicgold]

I don't understand really how Kane is going to get everything he wants. He wants to be on a winning team, be a relied upon piece, get paid not league min, and be on the East coast.

Buffalo - Has cap space, has a spot on the top 6, in the east, not a Cup contender.
Leafs - In the east, at least should push in playoffs, no top 6 role, no cap
Florida - In the East, cup contender, top 6 potential spot, no real space when Ekblad/Montour come back
Rangers - Rumoured as out

Whatever cap gymnastics that need to happen for him to go anywhere that's not Buffalo is going to be interesting.

[Pengwin7]

I don't mind this fit for Pat Kane & Buffalo.
BUF - fortunately - had a wealth of center-depth... they can just flex Cozens into C1 and Mitts into C2.
Krebs & Jost can be C3/C4 and Okposo can take draws if needed.

They do seem to need some creativity - and Pat Kane gives them perimeter hockey smarts they don't currently have (in my opinion).

[2014olympicgold]

Another team would be Detroit has space, that would be a team that has everything he wants if he wants to go there.

[Pengwin7]

My Dobber MockDraft team just needs him to sign... SOMEWHERE! LOL.

p7 dobber 2023-24.png

[tweetdrivr]

He also just had a surgery that almost no pro athletes have come back from successfully.

[Pengwin7]

re: Hip.
I'd say yes/no.

It's a terrible injury for any player that needs to make quick-flex shifts in directions.
So... definitely all defensemen (trying to track/shift on oncoming forwards)...
All goalies...
Most centers - especially the defensive side.
Pretty much every single cutting football player or jumping basketball player, yes.


If any position can handle it better... it's offensive wingers - because you are (mostly) dictating your own movements.
(Pat Kane is going to be turned inside out if he has to match up with anybody... and it'll look silly).

But I believe wingers have come back from hip surgeries:
https://ontheshelf.ca/2021/01/20/nhl...v-hip-surgery/

Not sure if it is exactly same kind.
I've read that Backstrom and Hagelin and Jovo didn't fare well.

The clips I saw of Pat Kane working out a month+ ago looked VERY promising.
And his reports have been positive in a non-hiding sort of way.

The "vibe" I'm getting from reports on him is that he's ready for NHL-hockey.
So long as he's mostly playing "his" game - his speed, his direction, his decisions... it'll be helpful.

I'd hate to be a G/D/C, though, trying to not get dipsy-doodled around with a recovering hip. Sounds terrible.

[2014olympicgold]

Kane's birthday is Sunday. If he's close to signing, why not wait till then? The guy wears 88 because he was bornin 1988 and taken 88th overall in the OHL draft. Maybe he likes the "significant life numbers" stuff.