Patrick Kane became one of the few players in the NHL history to make a successful comeback from hip resurfacing surgery last season after recording 20 goals and 47 points in 50 games for the Detroit Red Wings.
Now the former Chicago Blackhawks star is back on the market, and there are several teams including the Detroit Red Wings that would consider a short-term deal for a proven 20-goal scorer.
The Red Wings currently have about $32 million in cap space, per CapFriendly, but need to earmark some of that money for new deals with RFAs Moritz Seider and Lucas Raymond.
Despite those limitations, general manager Steve Yzerman said Saturday that Detroit is still hoping to re-sign Kane.
"We'd love to get Patrick Kane signed. That's our first priority," Yzerman said, per Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press. "We're trying to do deals with all these guys that allow us to almost bring them all back, but I'm not sure we'll be able to do that."
Kane was "still in talks" with Yzerman about an extension as of Saturday, Larry Brooks reported for the New York Post.
But the Red Wings aren't the only team that reportedly wants Kane back next season. The New York Rangers, the team Kane left Chicago to join for its 2023 playoff push, want to re-sign the veteran.
Kane "apparently remains the apple of the Rangers' eye after the post-deadline 2023 cameo left folks wanting for more," Brooks wrote Saturday.
Prediction: Kane returns to the Red Wings. Adding him to the roster helped Detroit come within one point of a playoff berth last season, so it has plenty of reason to want to bring him back, and his chemistry with former Blackhawks linemate Alex DeBrincat will be enough reason for Kane to want to return.
