Three weeks after free agency opened and long after the feeding frenzy ended, South Buffalo native Patrick Kane is reportedly considering joining the Sabres or returning to Chicago, where he became an icon while starring for 16 seasons and leading the Blackhawks to three Stanley Cup championships.
That info, courtesy of ESPN analyst Chris Chelios, makes sense. Following three seasons and zero playoff appearances with the Detroit Red Wings, Kane, 37, could take a run at the Cup with his hometown team or ride off into the sunset playing alongside Connor Bedard.
Not a bad way to end a Hall of Fame career, huh? Perhaps compete for a championship down the road from where you grew up, or mentor one of hockey’s great young talents and help lead the hapless Blackhawks back to relevancy.
Even a graying Kane could be an asset for the Sabres in his 20th season. The winger stayed productive last year at an age in which most players have retired, registering 16 goals and 57 points in 67 games.
His 41 assists would’ve tied for second on the Sabres with center Tage Thompson, trailing only the 55 captain Rasmus Dahlin recorded.
Kane’s contributions to the power play, an area in which the Sabres often struggled last season, especially down the stretch and into the postseason, would be welcome. Only Thompson, who recorded 18 power-play assists, had more than Kane’s 17.
Of course, don’t expect the 2015-16 Hart Trophy winner to score many goals. He’s coming off his lowest total ever in a season in which he played at least 60 games. His expected goals, 16.5, according to MoneyPuck.com, was the fourth lowest of his career. Two years ago, his expected goals was a career-low 11.5.
There are certainly signs of aging. Still, the Sabres, who last month sent 30-goal winger Alex Tuch to the Washington Capitals in a sign-and-trade deal, could use his playmaking ability.
So far, the Sabres haven’t replaced Tuch by acquiring another established top-six forward. General manager Jarmo Kekalainen has said they’re comfortable with young forwards like Konsta Helenius, Jiri Kulich and Noah Ostlund assuming bigger roles and filling some of the void created by losing one of the NHL’s best two-way forwards.
While Kane is pretty one-dimensional, his presence would help fill some of Tuch’s offensive production.
But does Kane fit into the Sabres’ identity? For all the skill they possess, they pride themselves on winning battles, blocking shots and doing all the gritty things needed to win. Kane doesn’t fit that mold.
The Sabres paid a price to register 50 victories and 109 points last season. That strong identity helped them showcase remarkable consistency.
Right now, the Sabres have 15 forwards, so signing Kane would force them to get rid of another one.
The Sabres have a darn good problem in possessing a surfeit of talent. They haven’t had this much depth up front since 2006-07, when they won the Presidents’ Trophy.
But even if they don’t sign Kane, they have some difficult decisions to make. They have about nine centers, so some players other than Peyton Krebs and Tyson Kozak, both of whom often move to the wing, will have to be shifted.
Kozak, a tenacious fourth-liner, possibly wouldn’t clear waivers if the Sabres tried to send him to the minors. Trades might be the best way to pare the deep forward corps.
The Sabres, having established themselves as legitimate Cup contenders, can’t simply send down some waiver-exempt players to create roster space.
Helenius, who stood out after being inserted in the second round of the postseason, has developed into one of their 12 best forwards. He needs to play.
It might mean they deal a forward or lose one on waivers, even if Kane chooses another team.