Just in case anyone forgot, Patrick Kane is still very good at hockey. With the trade deadline looming, the Blackhawks’ winger has put up 10 points in his last four games and has intensified trade talks with every goal he scores. Although Kane comes at a fairly steep price for half a season, any team that has a legitimate shot at the Stanley Cup should be at least thinking about putting an offer on the three-time champion. Obviously, some teams have a more realistic shot at making it happen than others, but here are the three places we’d like to see him go the most.
New York Rangers
This is the potential move we’ve heard the most about and it’s for good reason. Even after they grabbed Vladimir Tarasenko, there are still ways that the Rangers could make a trade for Kane and reunite him with Artemi Panarin. Although GM Chris Drury would have to jump through hoops to get this deal done, the potential of having a top 6 of Patrick Kane, Artemi Panarin, Mika Zibanejad, Chris Kreider, Vladimir Tarasenko and Vincent Trocheck is extremely exciting. Plus, it’s the Rangers and Madison Sqaure Garden.
Combine that with Kane’s interest in New York and his ability to come up in the clutch and it’s no wonder so many want to see him become a Ranger this season.
Carolina Hurricanes
The Canes have one of the deepest rosters in the NHL but do lack a little bit of star power. With Max Pacioretty on LTIR and not coming back this season, the team could certainly fill a hole by adding Patrick Kane to the roster. Alongside Carolina’s young talent, he could immediately become a great facilitator for very skilled linemates as well as another experienced veteran that any team would love to have in the playoffs. The Hurricanes are already a fantastic team, but with such a competitive Eastern conference this season, an addition like this might be the one that would help them go the distance.
Buffalo Sabres
Yes, the Sabres probably won’t be contending for the Stanley Cup this year. In fact, there’s a good chance they won’t even make the playoffs. However, Buffalo would be a homecoming for Patrick Kane and provide him with a terrific opportunity to lead a very skilled group of young forwards in the last years of his career. For this move to work, Buffalo would have to resign Kane after this season to a modest deal. Although there’s no guarantee of that happening, the prospects of getting to play alongside guys like Tage Thompson and Rasmus Dahlin in a hockey crazed hometown would be exciting for anyone. Plus, if Buffalo made the move, they would be a force for the rest of the season and could certainly get themselves into playoff position by the year’s end.
This one may not be the destination with the biggest immediate impact, but if Kane still has a few good years in him, Buffalo is a heck of an option.
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