It was a relatively quiet first day of free agency for the Buffalo Sabres as they reached a new contract with defenseman Olen Zellweger while signing four players (Dennis Gilbert, Conor Sheary, Trevor Kuntar, and Jason Polin) who are more depth players or likely to play in Rochester next season.
For the past week, the Sabres have often been rumored to be chasing Connor Hellebuyck, and it seems those rumors are going to persist. The good news, though, is that it is still early in the offseason, and one free agent signing by Buffalo could change all of that.
With limited cap space, the Sabres were never going to be big spenders in free agency, but they still have just under $8 million in cap space to bring in a key free agent that could set them up for a bigger offseason move. At this point, fans know that Patrick Kane grew up in Buffalo but has yet to play for his hometown team. He is certainly not the superstar he was early in his career, but he is still very productive after 57 points in 67 games last season with the Detroit Red Wings.
Why is Patrick Kane the key to the Buffalo Sabres getting Connor Hellebuyck?
The reason that a player going into his 20th season is the potential domino that needs to fall for the Sabres to trade for Connor Hellebuyck is that Kane is the likely replacement for Jack Quinn. The Sabres' forward has been rumored to be available and often mentioned in the trade package the Sabres have offered for Hellebuyck.
While the Sabres have plenty of depth, it is a clear 1-for-1 replacement as Kane could step in on that third line and replace Quinn's production. He could also help the Sabres' power play after he had 19 power-play points last season and 29 power-play points the year before that.
If the Buffalo Sabres had Patrick Kane under contract, it would give Jarmo Kekalainen some comfort in trading Quinn, knowing that he won't lose much production next season in the lineup. After that, the Sabres could offer a package of Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, prospects, and draft picks to complete the trade.
It is still early, and plenty of time for the Sabres to make moves to improve the roster in hopes of reaching the playoffs for a second consecutive season. However, an early signing of Patrick Kane gives the Sabres a clear path to upgrading the goalie position with the addition of Connor Hellebuyck.
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