Buffalo native Patrick Kane could finally sign with the Sabres

As the month of July draws to a close, Patrick Kane is still free as a bird on the free-agent market. After a short stint with the New York Rangers, the former Blackhawks star is now looking for another competitive team where he can aspire to a playoff run.

The Buffalo Sabres have been a recurring topic of discussion, though not necessarily a well-founded one, since the beginning of July.

A native of Buffalo, Kane is indeed a very logical target for the Sabres, who are trying to build a positive culture where the players in place buy into the project and really want to play in this market. At the dawn of a season where the ambition will be to build on the momentum to break the club’s twelve-season non-playoff streak, a veteran like #88 seems like a conceivable addition for the club.

No?

With $6 million under the salary cap, they have what it takes to offer the 34-year-old a contract.

Buffalo’s non-traditional media don’t seem as enthusiastic about the idea.

We read in FanSided that “signing Patrick Kane in 2023 wouldn’t make sense” and in DieByTheBlade that “no, the Sabres shouldn’t sign Patrick Kane”.

They say “it doesn’t make sense anymore”, rendered today. It’s important to understand that Sabres fans campaigned for years to acquire the local star, who isn’t what he used to be. It’s easy to draw a parallel with the many good Quebec players who never made it to Montreal, or with those who did at the end of their careers, like Daniel Brière.

In a nutshell. There’s also talk of a surplus of forwards. The Sabres would start the season as follows, in the top-6:

Skinner – Thompson – Tuch
Peterka – Cozens – Mittelstadt

Quinn, Krebs, Greenway and Olofsson should also be considered. It’s a crowded place in Buffalo. Is there room for Kane? Not so much. The question is whether the impact of a veteran like Kane would be positive for a young club trying to break a long-standing curse.

At this point in his career, and with his current state of health, Kane should understand that he won’t necessarily be the #1 winger he’s been for a long time. And if he wants to end up with a title contender, he’ll have to understand that his role will be different.

Can’t wait to see what happens.

En Rafale

– I could program this into every Grand Prix week.

– Whew.

– Phenomenal.

GOLD FOR SUMMER 🇨🇦

Summer McIntosh wins gold in the 400m IM and does it in dominant fashion 🥇 pic.twitter.com/dEHH0z77O2

– CBC Olympics (@CBCOlympics) July 30, 2023