Would Patrick Kane want to play for the Sabers?

Listening to Patrick Kanes’ comments on Monday was certainly an eye opener. He is usually very reserved and does not provide many additional details when asked questions about his future. However, yesterday was a little different as it really looked like he was considering moving away from the Chicago Blackhawks.

NBC Sports’ Charlie Roumeliotis shared these quotes. Please visit Charlie @CRoumeliotis or visit www.nbcsportschicago.com/blackhawks for more of Kane’s comments.

“There are definitely opportunities out there that are intriguing and could be exciting. … But we’re not really there yet.”

Patrick Kane said his agent Pat Brisson told him that a few teams had come forward and expressed interest

Could his hometown Buffalo Sabers be interested in bringing Kane into their fold? To me it makes a lot of sense. This is a team ready to compete and on the rise in the NHL. They now have this elite star in Center Tage Thompson, they have two No. 1 overall defenders and they have a huge roster of prolific forwards.

This is where Patrick Kane should see a team that could be even better with his passing and playmaking skills. Alex Tuch, Jeff Skinner and Jack Quinn would all benefit immediately from Kanes’ arrival.

Despite being Patrick Kane’s home, Buffalo is also a franchise that seems poised to truly compete at the highest level. If Kane accepts a trade with Buffalo, I would expect an extension in the 3-4 year range to follow. It would be a difficult move for Kane to accept, and one that would likely result in his family being relocated. Still, it would make a lot of sense to me, both in terms of legacy and his current situation. Kane would immediately be in contention for a playoff spot from a bottom team. Not only that, but I believe the Sabers should be fighting for a cup run in the next 3 years.

Out of all the rumored teams (NYR, TOR, COL, VGK, etc.), I think Buffalo is the team Patrick Kane should go to. It kind of reminds me of how Marian Hossa viewed the Blackhawks. I’m not comparing their list to ours, but I think they have a lot of pieces “ready” to rise to a higher level like our Blackhawks were back then.

If a deal were discussed with the Sabers, Kyle Davidson (knowing that an extension was occurring) would ask about their 1st place 2023, one of their 2nd place 2023 (they have 3), and a top prospect from that group:

Isak Rosen, JJ Peterka, Matthew Savoie, Juri Kulich, Josh Bloom, and Jack Quinn.

Let’s start with Quinn. He’s not going anywhere. He really had a strong rookie season and seems like a real top 6 forward. Matthew Savoie was a top 10 pick in the last draft and could be a big part of their future. I don’t know if they would let him go AND add a 1st.

I also think that Juri Kulich offers too much potential for the Sabers to include him in a deal. I believe JJ Peterka should be Davidson’s key player to try and acquire. Rosen and Bloom would be the two forwards I’d aim for if the Sabers don’t budge on Peterka.

Peterka is a German-born forward who was already picked in the second round when we picked Lukas Reichel. They played together and I’m sure that connection would be a huge draw for Davidson. He’s having a strong rookie year with 19 points in just 48 games. The 21-year-old would be in the planning as a long-standing middle 6 wing from now on.

Bloom is a high-scoring, big-body winger in the OHL. In the last 3 seasons in the OHL, the 19-year-old has played just under a point a game. Bloom was a third-round pick in 2021. Rosen is a Swedish winger drafted very highly (14th in 2021), although then as now I believed he will need some time to develop. In the AHL, he has 20 points in 35 games and shows himself in a flash. He played well at the World Juniors with 6 points in their 7-game streak.

I think Patrick Kane has the following options:

1. End the year in Chicago and persuade Davidson to extend to end his career with the Blackhawks. Try to get all the records I can get at this time.

2. Ask for a trade with a real cup contender like Rangers. Become a free agent and see if Chicago wants to reunite (no guarantee of that, maybe risky).

3. Being swapped into a team that can expand me and that I would like to end my career with.

Those must be the 3 options he’s always thinking about. He likely takes into account Patrick Kane III, Amanda, his relocated family, his legacy with the Blackhawks, and what his level of happiness would be if he left Chicago. No question, these are difficult things for anyone considering… let alone a future Hall of Famer like Patrick Kane.

I decided to attack this deadline in two ways: What would I do if I were Patrick Kane? What will Patrick Kane do? For me, I would move back to Buffalo and extend. This team is ready to explode and it would be an amazing story. That said, I still firmly believe that Patrick Kane wants his legacy of an original 6-team on his hockey card.

Best guess: Patrick Kane isn’t going anywhere, but if it were me, I’d take the Sabers.

Source: blackhawkup.com