Will Patrick Kane finally find his way to the Buffalo Sabres in 2023-24?

Patrick Kane is an unrestricted free agent, and as a local boy, there is speculation he just might join his hometown team, the Buffalo Sabres. 

Patrick Kane will be 35 this year, and he’s likely searching for a team to spend the final few seasons of what has been a remarkable career. The longtime Chicago Blackhawk turned New York Ranger has already won three Stanley Cups, among other accolades, but it makes sense to think he wants to add at least one more to his Hall of Fame resume.

His hometown team, the Buffalo Sabres, has struggled throughout much of Kane’s tenure in the NHL, though they will be contenders next season. So it would be fitting to see yet another hometown hero don the blue and gold (and occasionally, black, silver, and red) and help them win their first Cup. So is this the year Kane finally joins the Sabres? Here is my take on the matter.

Will Patrick Kane sign with the Buffalo Sabres in 2023?

We know the Sabres already established their top six for the foreseeable future, with Jeff Skinner, Tage Thompson, and Alex Tuch manning the first line, while Jack Quinn, Dylan Cozens, and J.J. Peterka will take the second. The lower lines are where things get murky, but we can always theorize.

Casey Mittelstadt will likely center the line (though playing wing is also an option), while Victor Olofsson is still under contract. However, Olofsson could wind up going elsewhere in a trade. Tyson Jost is a restricted free agent, but given his performance last season, it’s safe to say the Sabres bring him back, probably on a two-year deal.

If Olofsson moves, there will be an opening at winger, but logic states that either Matt Savoie or Jiri Kulich, among other prospects, will take over for Olofsson. Even if the Sabres can’t move Olofsson, one of the rookies can still take over.

Kyle Okposo and Zemgus Girgensons are unrestricted free agents, though it’s more than possible they could both return. Peyton Krebs will likely center the line, and we also can’t forget about Jordan Greenway, who would also rotate in and out with Girgensons and Okposo if the duo return.

However, what if either Okposo or Girgensons return, but not both? This leaves a void, but in such a situation, Greenway becomes the top man on the fourth line while someone like Lukas Rousek could get the call up and join the Buffalo Sabres full time.

At this point, there is hardly any room at forward for the Blue and Gold to land someone like Kane. So unless neither Okposo nor Girgensons re-sign, if the Sabres move Olofsson, and they opt to not extend a qualifying offer to Jost, there is no way Patrick Kane joins them in 2023-24.

Source: Rangers: 3 Potential Free-Agent Destinations for Patrick Kane by Michael DeRosa, TheHockeyWriters.com