Could the Buffalo Sabres Pursue Patrick Kane?
UFA forward Patrick Kane is being linked to his hometown Buffalo Sabres in rumors. What are the pros and cons?
Back in August, there was a report of rumors linking the Buffalo Sabres to Patrick Kane. The 34-year-old free agent is currently rehabbing from off-season hip resurfacing and was expected to be ready to return to action in December.
Kane's agent, Pat Brisson, said his client would be fielding offers from clubs that would give him the best chance to win the Stanley Cup. Kane is a Buffalo native, but his hometown Sabres haven't made the playoffs since 2011. While they could break that streak this season, that doesn't make them Cup contenders.
Nevertheless, rumors of the Sabres pursuing Kane persist.
“We know Buffalo is interested,” reported TSN's Darren Dreger on Thursday, noting that Kane could help a lot of teams when healthy. He also indicated that the winger requires another month of rehab. That could move up his return date to sometime in November.
Kane playing for his hometown club would make a great story, especially if he helped them end their long post-season drought. Cap space won't be an issue with $8.6 million available to start this season.
However, the Sabres are already loaded with scoring talent led by Tage Thompson, Jeff Skinner and Alex Tuch. They could have more pressing needs to address.
Goaltending is a huge question mark with youngsters Devon Levi and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen as their likely tandem to start the season with Eric Comrie in reserve. They have yet to establish themselves as reliable starters.
Blueline depth could also be an issue. They added veterans Erik Johnson and Connor Clifton during the off-season. However, they could be in the market for another experienced defenseman if they continue to give up a high number of shots against per game as they did last season.