Losing Patrick Kane reminds Buffalo Sabres there's work to be done on their reputation

The Buffalo Sabres got bad news on Thursday morning when Patrick Kane officially signed with the Chicago Blackhawks. After a few years with the New York Rangers and Detroit Red Wings, Kane went back to where he became a star. 

However, the other team in on Kane was where he originally became a star. He was playing for the 14U Buffalo Saints before moving to Michigan to play for Honeybaked. This all led to Kane going first overall in 2007. Kane claims Buffalo as his original home. Yet, this wasn’t enough to get him to sign a new contract.

Of course, the $8 million per season probably had a lot to do with Kane returning to Chicago. Kane is still a decent player at his age, but this is obviously an overpay by a rebuilding franchise looking for a nostalgia tour. The Sabres cannot afford $8 million per season while trying to contend. 

While the price definitely had a huge reason for Kane’s signing, winning a Stanley Cup in Buffalo had to be intriguing to him. Yet, he chased nostalgia and money. Is that a sign of an issue in Buffalo?

Patrick Kane's signing is slightly concerning for the Buffalo Sabres

If this was an isolated incident, it wouldn’t be a concern, but this offseason has shown that the Sabres are not the place where people take a paycut to compete. After having the longest playoff drought in the sport, the Sabres had a complete turnaround and won the Atlantic Division last season. 

This is a young team led by Tage Thompson, Rasmus Dahlin, Zach Benson, and Owen Power. This core should help the team win for years to come. 

Unfortunately, the Sabres tried to get other players to buy in, but they are no longer on the roster. The biggest example of this is Alex Tuch. They tried all season with two GMs to get Tuch signed to a long-term deal. When they couldn’t get it done, they were forced to trade his rights to the Washington Capitals, who then quickly signed him to an extension.

Bowen Byram is another example, but there were some extremes here. The Blackhawks paid an insane premium for Byram, a price that was probably too good to pass up for Jarmo Kekäläinen. Getting a top five pick for a player is rare, and Byram isn’t even the best defenseman on the Sabres. Then, the massive contract he signed confirmed the Sabres made the right decision.

But if the Sabres got Byram to buy in years ago, then this situation wouldn’t even be on the table. 

And that’s the point. The Sabres still have work to do to get players to buy in. Maybe this is a case of the Sabres trying to get pieces that just got too expensive. The Sabres were reportedly in on Connor Hellebuyck, and those same reports say the top goalie in the league was willing to waive his no-trade clause to head to Western New York. That’s a great example of buy in that we haven’t seen elsewhere. 

The Sabres are clearly in a better position that at this point last year, but to build off the momentum, it’s clear that the team needs to win consistently. One great season does not lead to free agency conviction. Kane’s decision proves that rule. 

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