Report: Patrick Kane close to decision, Panthers may be top choice
The unrestricted free agent and future Hall of Famer has been linked to several teams, including Florida
It’s been a positive start to the 2023-24 season for the Florida Panthers.
As the team nears the 20-game mark, Florida holds a solid 12-5-1 record and appears to be continuing the upward trajectory the franchise displaced late last season and throughout its remarkable run to the Stanley Cup Final in June.
The strong start to this season has been especially impressive when taking into account that the Panthers have played almost their entire schedule without key players Aaron Ekblad, Brandon Montour and Sam Bennett.
Now Florida is poised to make another run at a potential championship season, and being a team in that exclusive category can come with certain benefits.
One of those perks is that the Cup contending Panthers are one of a handful of teams that have been linked to former Chicago Blackhawks and New York Rangers forward Patrick Kane.
The future Hall of Famer is an unrestricted free agent, but one of those labels could be on the brink of expiring. He’s been training and rehabbing in Toronto after having hip resurfacing surgery back in June.
There have been reports that Kane is full healthy and nearing a decision on where he would like to sign, and it sounds like South Florida is on his short list of potential destinations.
During a recent interview, NHL insider Frank Seravalli of The Daily Faceoff reported that some of the teams who are pursuing Kane – a list that includes Toronto, Dallas, Detroit, Buffalo and Tampa, per Seravalli – are viewing Florida as “the front runners for Kane’s services.”
Here is his full quote:
“What I can tell you is a lot of teams are wondering if the Florida Panthers are the front runners for Kane’s services. You see the start they’re off to, they very well of that group be the best chance for Kane to chase a fourth Stanley Cup this season. You see how dynamic their offense has been, carrying that team without their two top defensemen in Brandon Montour and Aaron Ekblad, both now coming back. You can see this Panthers team take off and there seems to be some thought that the Panthers could be a multi-year destination. Kane may not have to sign for just one year, it could be a multi-year deal, or the potential of that down the line with their cap space clearing up. He would be a very interesting fit in South Florida.”
A healthy Kane could be a significant addition to an already deep Panthers forward group. The veteran’s level of play had appeared to drop off a bit recently, which is part of why he had the hip procedure done in the first place.
Signing Kane would take some financial maneuvering by Florida, which as of Tuesday afternoon held less than $1 million in cap space while sitting with a full 23 players on the active roster.
The Panthers will have some money to spend when this offseason arrives due to a majority of the roster playing on expiring contracts, though in the short term, it would be hard to see Florida winning any bidding wars.
But Kane, reportedly, is looking for a place that he can compete for a Stanley Cup. How much he values that trait, and whether or not he is willing to take less money in the short term, will be something that may very well play into his looming decision.
Is Florida a more attractive team to chase a Cup with for the next year or three than, say, Dallas or Toronto?
If it is indeed the case that a decision by Kane is expected sometime this week, it won’t be long until these questions are answered.
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