Hockey Insider Darren Dreger Reveals When Patrick Kane is Expected to Make and Announce His Final Decision on His Future Team Selection

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Graham Montgomery
November 15, 2023 (6:41 PM)

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Patrick Kane has been one of the bigger stories this year around the NHL despite the fact that he has not played a single game. In fact, his free agent status has captivated many teams throughout the league who are still interested in his services. Today we got an update on the Kane front.

NHL Insider Darren Dreger Provides Update On Kane Contract Negotiations

Today we got a major update in regards to Patrick Kane as NHL insider Darren Dreger discussed new details of the process on Insider Trading.

"Yeah, it's a big week, Gino. For Patrick Kane and his agent Pat Brisson, they will engage with NHL clubs this week, which means they will interview coaches and general managers.

The list is less than ten teams, it's probably closer to eight teams, and they're going to try and cut that down as early as the weekend. And they hope to have a final decision, perhaps in place early next week, identifying the new home for Patrick Kane and where he will return to the National Hockey League."

It seems then that we will know where Kane will sign as early as early next week. Teams rumored to be involved with Kane are the Rangers, Panthers, Leafs, Red Wings, Sabres, and Stars. According to Dreger, Kane's list is around 8 teams long so there are likely a couple other contenders we have not heard about.

Kane's Next NHL Team Still Unknown

There has been much speculation surrounding Patrick Kane all season as to where he will go. One NHL insider believes the Florida Panthers are the favorite to land the American right winger.

Insider Elliotte Friedman also threw out the Carolina Hurricanes as a possibility although there have not really been any rumors connecting him to the Canes.

Kane is coming off hip resurfacing surgery, a procedure that often significantly limits the effectiveness of professional athletes. Capitals forward Niklas Backstrom has the same procedure two offseasons ago and he has now stepped away from the game, possibly for good, due to health concerns related to his hip. As such, NHL clubs should be careful when assessing Kane's health before they award him with a contract.