Patrick Kane and Todd McLellan are back at the center of Detroit's summer, and the winger's next move suddenly feels a lot less settled.
The fresh chatter around Buffalo and Chicago lands because Kane is not coming off a fringe season. He put up 16 goals and 57 points in 67 games with the Red Wings.
That is still real top-six offense. It is also why Detroit cannot treat this like a simple veteran file while trying to keep pace in an Atlantic that got tighter.
The Red Wings finished 41-31-10 and landed on 92 points. Good enough to stay in the fight, not good enough to feel comfortable letting skill walk out the door.
Kane also hit a major milestone last season when he became the fifth U.S.-born player to reach 500 NHL goals. That still carries weight in any room looking for finishing touch and power-play poise.
Detroit's bigger problem is fit and timing. McLellan needs support around Dylan Larkin and Alex DeBrincat, and there is already noise that the club is looking at outside replacements if Kane leaves.
Buffalo is the destination that makes the most hockey sense. The Sabres finished 50-23-9 with 109 points, which means this is no rebuild swing anymore.
" David Pagnotta: Re Patrick Kane: For me it'd be Buffalo, Chicago as the ones that kind of pique a little bit of interest - NHL Wraparound (7/7) "
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Patrick Kane's next team just leaked and Detroit fans won't like it
Under Lindy Ruff, Buffalo already looks like a team built to push. Adding a winger who can still slow the game down on the power play would be a straight win-now bet.
And Kane's hometown pull is obvious. A Buffalo landing would not ask him to carry the whole offense, only to tilt key shifts and help a good team score a little easier.
Chicago is different. The Blackhawks closed at 29-39-14 and 72 points, so a reunion there feels more sentimental than competitive right now.
That does not mean it is impossible. Kane's history in Chicago still matters, and few names in that market carry the same pull. But the roster context is not close to Buffalo's.
Detroit still has a say here, and that is what makes this interesting. Kane has not fully shut the door on staying, which leaves McLellan waiting on a call that affects his top six right away.
So this is where the pressure sits now. If the Red Wings want Patrick Kane back, they need to move with purpose, because Buffalo looks like the cleaner hockey fit and Chicago looks like the louder headline.
Should the Detroit Red Wings bring Patrick Kane back before Buffalo makes a real push?
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