The Hockey News’s Adam Proteau discusses potential landing spots for Patrick Kane today, and he adds this snippet about Kane’s potential return to Detroit (which seems unlikely at this point):
The Red Wings do have about $19.6 million in cap space, so if Kane wants to go to the highest bidder, it could be Detroit. But it’s starting to feel like Kane doesn’t want to settle for Detroit.
And why would Kane want to hitch his wagon to a Wings team that will likely take a step back when they trade captain Dylan Larkin? Detroit could prove to be the worst team in the Atlantic this year, and the 37-year-old Kane doesn’t have long to go before he’ll be retired. If he wants to join the most competitive team that wants him without moving too far, the Sabres or Maple Leafs make a lot of sense for Kane.
He may be an NHL senior citizen, but Kane still has something to offer. As a decorated, three-time Stanley Cup champion, he’s earned the respect of his peers, and he’s going to be a first-ballot Hall of Famer. Kane may have just enough left to write a storybook ending to a dazzling, unforgettable hockey career.
Continued; again, this is just my “gut feeling,” but I have a sense that Kane has not signed with anyone yet in no small part because he wants to see where Dylan Larkin ends up–Kane and Larkin happen to have the same agent in Pat Brisson–and I would not rule out Detroit completely.
Why? His family situation was excellent in Detroit, the Red Wings treated him well, and if we’re talking about what things feel like for those who cover this game, I just still believe that there’s a bit of loyalty to the Wings still stirring in Kane, even if it’s fading at this point.
Where will he go? That’s up to Patrick Kane. But I would not be surprised if this situation, like Dylan Larkin’s, takes all summer to resolve itself.
