With the season right around the corner, and teams focusing on putting the best rosters together that they can, an interesting nugget of information has surfaced (again).
While it’s not necessarily a new rumor, it is interesting hearing Patrick Kane’s name linked to the Panthers again (swipe right on the below).
The 35 year-old winger is battling back from major hip surgery and determined to get back to NHL action sooner rather than later.
I know what a lot of you are thinking: he’s getting older, he’s injured, and he’s going to cost too much.
I’ll agree with you on the first two. Father Time comes for us all and often times injuries are part of that journey. Factor in an athlete playing at the highest level of his craft, and the likelihood of said injuries will certainly increase.
But Kane still has a lot to offer a team. His time with the Rags was not a good measuring stick of what’s left in the tank because he was battling that hip injury. So I don’t even look at that too deeply.
A prodigy who will go down as one of the top American-born players ever — and a future HoFer — his current situation may be the perfect one for this Florida team.
Kane will certainly understand that teams will not overpay for his services at this point in his career. While Florida is pressed against the cap, injuries to Ekblad and Montour may open the LTIR door for them to spend some money on someone…
Here’s how I see Kane’s career wrapping up:
- Signs a one-year, team friendly deal with Florida for the 2023-24 season that acts as a”prove it” deal of sorts
- Signs a 2/3-year deal with Buffalo (who will take the next step) and provides savvy veteran leadership
Do you guys think Florida lands Kane? If so, where does he slot in on this roster?
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Go Panthers!
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