Eastern Conference teams aggressively tried to sign Kane this past summer.

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Ryan Hall
October 11, 2023 (2:08)

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The Patrick Kane sweepstakes began just before the trade deadline this past spring when it was made known that he wanted to be traded to a contender. Rumours were aplenty across the NHL regarding where he would end up, with numerous teams being mentioned. However, his desire to be traded to the New York Rangers was strong, and the Blackhawks made the deal happen.

Their playoff hopes did not go well, and the team flopped early in their Cup run. Soon afterward, it was mentioned that Kane went under the knife and had hip resurfacing surgery, which put him out for a minimum of six months.

This news did not deter one team in the NHL, a surprising team in the Eastern Conference, who went to the finals and lost to the Vegas Golden Knights: the Florida Panthers.

This news came to light according to Elliot Friedman in his "32 Thoughts" article, where he mentioned that the Panthers wanted to lock him into a deal, but that never materialized.

Kane appears to be heading home, to his hometown Buffalo

"In the not-too-distant future, Patrick Kane's return is going to become a dominant NHL story. The video released by his agency (CAA) had its intended effect, and there's a lot of interest. Kane will wait to see how teams start. Florida was very aggressive during the summer, but Buffalo will be the team to watch," Friedman said.

Lately, the team pegged to land the 34-year-old winger is the Buffalo Sabres. The Sabres are beginning to make noise that they will attempt to secure their playoff drive this year, and they feel a player of his calibre would help them do so.

Once Kane announces his eligibility to play again, I expect many teams to line up to offer a contract, but it remains to be seen where he'll go as many of the contenders are tight against the salary cap.