Spent a lot of time watching Patrick Kane the last few games. There's a few things I think here. First and foremost, I think reality setting in has been an enormous shock. No matter what was pitched to him, or what he was told, it sure seems like there was hope/desire to stay at least another season. Barring that, the Rangers were his first choice. Now, we're not looking at either option, so he's stunned.
People who know Kane are convinced he's still got plenty to offer and badly desires to show it somewhere else. Wednesday in Toronto was a perfect opportunity to make a splash on a massive stage, but it was an ugly 5-2 loss. I understand how much losing sucks, and he's reeling from what's happening. But he's got to do two things: let everyone know where he's willing to go (if anywhere) and put on a show in the meantime. Kane clearly is annoyed about the speculation surrounding his hip, but he's got to show it's not an issue.
I think Edmonton's interested, and has reached out. I think Dallas has considered it. I've wondered about Vegas, and my belief is Toronto wants to know whether or not it's actually in the mix before considering anything. As one GM said Wednesday, «If Patrick Kane is interested in you, you have to think about it.» This is a complicated deal, and I'm not sure how much longer anyone is willing to wait. You don't want to be the abandoned bride at the altar.