Insider: Patrick Kane's Decision Could Be Based On Term

Patrick Kane is now fully engaged in talks with a handful of suitors to figure out where his next NHL stop will be. Insider Elliotte Friedman appeared on The Jeff Marek Show on Friday, where they discussed just what it'll take to sign the 3-time Stanley Cup champ. 

Friedman says the right "fit" will be as important as contract in deciding upon his next team. And on the latter, there is a decision that the 35-year-old needs to make as far as how long he plans to sign for.

One of the things I'm curious about here is, does he take a one-year deal or does he go for multiple years. At times, I think he has considered, if not preferred a multiple-year plan, and at other times he's been pitched on the idea of just coming in for one year and seeing how good the team is and then deciding if he wants to stay.

One team, notes Friedman, that wouldn't be realistic if Kane is going to sign a one-year deal, would be the Buffalo Sabres, who might not be quite ready to go the distance in 2023-24. 

"If he's (looking at) a one-year deal, I don't know that you're looking at Buffalo and saying that's gonna happen. But I think Buffalo can sell a pitch of multiple years, and we're getting better," said Friedman. "You see it coming, you absolutely see it coming."

With so many of their top young core players all locked-in, it's definitely something that's building, and if Kane is willing to wait a year or two to get back to the Finals, that could be the place. 

One-year deals would most likely lean towards the likes of the Florida Panthers, the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Toronto Maple Leafs, or, if he's looking West, the Colorado Avalanche.

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