MLive’s Ansar Khan places his ear to the hockey rumor-y railroad track and offers an update on Patrick Kane’s status this afternoon:
The Detroit Red Wings made a big push to re-sign Patrick Kane and have a standing offer on the table. But it doesn’t appear as if the future Hall-of-Famer will return.
Kane enjoyed his time in Detroit and likes the chemistry he has with longtime linemate Alex DeBrincat. But Dylan Larkin’s likely departure has prompted Kane to seek a better opportunity to win elsewhere.
His hometown Buffalo Sabres appear to be the most logical destination.
Viktor Arvidsson, who can play both wings, should replace Kane’s offense after signing a two-year deal for an average annual value of $5 million on July 1.
But the Red Wings still need more scoring, after ranking 22nd in goals per game and 30th in five-on-five goals. And on top of that, there’s no telling what they might get in return for Larkin if he’s traded.
Continued (paywall); as far as I’m concerned, I really do believe that superpower agent Pat Brisson is keeping up some communication between Larkin and Kane, who are both Brisson’s clients.
My realistic “gut feeling” is that Kane’s not making an easy decision between Detroit, Buffalo, and wherever else he may end up, and that the Wings’ roster situation will play heavily into his decision-making process. Otherwise, he would have already signed with the Sabres already:
The Sabres have about $8.6 million in cap space and could use some more offense after losing three-time 30-goal scorer and unrestricted free agent Alex Tuch in a sign-and-trade with Washington.
Buffalo ended a 14-year playoff drought and advanced to the second round before being eliminated by Montreal.
