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Star ahead Patrick Kane is making the rounds in free-agent discussions, igniting a flurry of rumors and hypothesis throughout the NHL. According to insider John Shannon, Kane, who has been actively coaching in Oakville, Ontario, has initiated conferences with a number of groups, together with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Shannon revealed, “Patrick Kane…is beginning the process of meeting with teams…Hearing he met with the Toronto Maple Leafs today.” This marks the begin of a collection of conferences Kane is scheduled to have over the subsequent few days. The listing of groups is powerful, that includes the Florida Panthers, Tampa Bay Lightning, Carolina Hurricanes, Dallas Stars, and the Buffalo Sabres.
Maple Leafs General Manager Brad Treliving and President Brendan Shanahan are presently with the workforce in Sweden for the 2023 NHL Global Series video games. It is probably going that the assembly occurred just about. Still, they obtained a gathering.
Toronto is probably going a long-shot in all of this, however that the group is on a brief listing the winger is reportedly making an attempt to slim down means the Leafs, at the very least, have a shot. According to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic:
Agent Pat Brisson continues to maneuver the course of ahead on UFA Patrick Kane and there are Zoom calls scheduled for later this week with groups, involving each coaches and GMs. While Brisson instructed me lately that he would attempt to restrict the listing to 5 or 6 groups, it seems like that’s grown to seven or eight as golf equipment attempt to get in on it.
supply – ‘LeBrun rumblings: Gambling rules, Flames trade talk, Patrick Kane’s listing and extra from the NHL GMs assembly’ – Pierre LeBrun – The Athletic – 11/14/2023
The Money Is Going to Be a Hurdle for Toronto
While the monetary logistics of a possible deal with the Maple Leafs stay unclear, there’s a consensus that if Kane identifies a vacation spot the place he feels most comfy and has a real probability at profitable, monetary issues might take a again seat. Still, Toronto should do some maneuvering to make this work. Kane isn’t about to signal for league minimal.
Frankly, even when he’s open to signing for lower than his market worth, the Leafs are additionally rumored to be engaged on different offers to enhance their blue line. To say the least, this can take some finessing. If the Leafs can handle to shed important wage whereas securing a defenseman from the Flames (that’s the rumor, anyway), the chance of including Kane to their roster turns into an intriguing prospect.
Who Are the Maple Leafs Competing With for Kane?
Further insights from Darren Dreger counsel that Kane’s representatives need to slim down the listing of potential suitors from eight groups. The Dallas Stars, Buffalo Sabres, Florida Panthers, Carolina Hurricanes, and Detroit Red Wings are imagined to be amongst a few of the frontrunners. Pierre LeBrun lately reported that the Sabres are hoping to stay in the combine, regardless of information that Tage Thompson has gone down with a severe damage.
Related: Maple Leafs News & Rumors: Reaves, Willie, Kane & Robertson
General Manager Kevyn Adams confirms the Sabres’ curiosity, stating, “Yeah, we are a team that checked in on him once he became a free agent, and we asked them to keep us posted, and that’s what they’ve done. We’ll see where it goes from there.”
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Insiders Kevin Weekes and Elliotte Friedman report that the Panthers, led by GM Bill Zito, have intensified their pursuit of the winger. Zito’s pitch reportedly targeted on the Panthers’ competitiveness, providing Kane an opportunity to contend for a championship. Friedman notes that the Panthers have made it clear they won’t have the cash to present him that different golf equipment do, however they consider they provide a professional probability to win.
Not Much More Than a Meeting
As the Patrick Kane sweepstakes unfold, the league watches with anticipation, eagerly awaiting the resolution of one in every of the most important free-agent sagas in latest reminiscence. He met with the Maple Leafs, however from the sounds of a number of reviews and the curiosity rising from different groups, the odds that Toronto make the reduce aren’t robust.
Not solely have they got different priorities, however different groups could make a greater pitch and provide Kane greater than the Leafs can. In the finish, that’s probably what might be the figuring out issue, and never the probability to play with somebody like Auston Matthews.
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