Patrick Kane could have NHL team shortlist determined soon

All eyes are on free agent Patrick Kane and where he might call the 2023-24 season home. Daily Faceoff president and insider Frank Seravalli weighs in on the situation revolving around Kane and just how close we are to a decision.

Tyler Yaremchuk: Frank, there are some GM’s hoping that Patrick Kane can be their mid-season hack, is there an update on showtime? 

Frank Seravalli: Well, we are getting closer, that’s for sure. Kane’s representation is actively engaged in dialogue with teams. They haven’t narrowed down the list just yet, but I think they are hoping to get to three or four teams by next week. There are a couple of teams out there that want to get into the mix but we will see if they actually do. I don’t think it strays if we’re handicapping it from afar, very far from the list we gave you a month where we listed the New York Rangers, Buffalo Sabres, and Detroit Red Wings.

Frank Seravalli: Here’s the fascinating thing when it comes to Kane and determining his future, the thing that they’re talking about internally is do we take security, and it’s not the money, it’s do we take a multi-year deal somewhere and then go with the idea of this is a team on the rise and we can stay here for a bit and finish my career here. Or do you take a short-term, short-money deal, based on what these teams can offer like the Rangers and go for a one-year, one-million type of deal on a team that has an authentic chance at winning the cup this year?

So that’s internally what the wrestle is going to be and something they’ll have to consider. I think Buffalo is uniquely positioned to be able to do that and they’ve got the cap space; more than $6 million and they’ve got the long-term view with a lot of their guys locked up. They could be able to say hypothetically, “We can throw $5 million at Patrick Kane for three years” and does that entice him to come home and help this team make the playoffs? I think internally, there’s probably a bit of Kane that thinks he disappointed the Rangers last year and would like to see what that looks like, I think all those teams remain squarely in the mix.

Frank Seravalli: Then, in the peripherals, you’ve got Dallas, Florida, and I think there’s an outside chance that the Toronto Maple Leafs take a swing. We talked about them not really needing it, but I think the push and pull here is going to be interesting between trying to win this year or going to a place where you can build something. He’s not an old guy so that idea of a three or five-year run isn’t far-fetched so that way he can make his second act the return of Showtime. It’s a really interesting dynamic and we are probably less than two weeks away from Kane signing. 

You can watch the full episode here…