Insider: "Keep An Eye On" Patrick Kane and Atlantic Division Team

Patrick Kane remains the biggest name free agent still on the market. Coming back from hip surgery, he won't be ready to sign for a few weeks yet, but when he does, expect an up-and-coming team on the verge of a playoff breakthrough to make a push to sign him. 

According to hockey insider Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff, the Buffalo Sabres are the team to watch, and they have two big advantages over the competition, starting with his birth certificate.

Keep an eye on the Sabres and Patrick Kane. I think that would be a fantastic fit, and there's no doubt the Sabres are interested in trying to bring him home. 

Indeed, Kane is Buffalo-born. And the team is ready to win. At 42-33-7 for 91 points, the Sabres missed the playoffs by just two points last season, and for this young team on the rise, the postseason is a very real possibility in 2023-24. A veteran and three-time Stanley Cup winner like Kane could certainly help push them over the top. 

Kane is going to be highly sought-after, though, says Seravalli, and "there will be a list of teams that will be excited to try and add him if they can wedge him into their cap."

And that's where Buffalo could have another big edge. The Sabres have over $8 million in cap space, far more than any of the top Cup contenders, who are all, as Servalli alluded to, tight to the cap. So from that standpoint, if money is a big part of the consideration in addition to winning (and don't forget place of birth), Kane would have to take a long, hard look at his boyhood favorite team. 

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