Toronto has interest in Patrick Kane and while he would be a great addition to the lineup, it creates an issue that Toronto may not wanna face head on right now.
Patrick Kane is undoubtedly one of the greatest American players ever and one of the best in the modern generation. His ability to couple a lightning-quick and accurate shot with elite playmaking and top-tier defence has led him to 1,400 career points, three Stanley Cups, a Hart Trophy and about a dozen other accolades.
Though he's a lot older than he was during his prime years in Chicago, he's still putting up very good numbers since joining the Detroit Red Wings. He had 57 points in 67 games last season (16 goals, 41 assists) and has 163 points in 189 games since heading to the Motor City - doing it from age 35 onwards.
He's also pending free agent, and while he may very well head back to the RedWings to continue, he may also want to entertain winning and being competitive as he reaches the twilight of his career.
Patrick Kane could be headed to the open market on July 1
He would make a solid addition to any lineup in the top-six, and his veteran leadership would be instrumental to any young player coming in.
Speaking of, the Toronto Maple Leafs are a team he's reportedly interested in and with Gavin McKenna coming in - and his projection being that of Kane - it would make for a very interesting combination to put together.
Kane is reportedly interested in playing there too should he decide to hit free agency, though therein lies one of the biggest caveats right now which is Toronto's stuffed wing position could cause some issues:
If Patrick Kane gets to market, I expect Toronto to be in the mix. - Nick Alberga
Toronto's wing is crowded already and it forces the team into a tough decision
If you add Kane into the mix, then you currently have the following:
- Gavin McKenna
- Patrick Kane
- Matthew Knies
- Wiliam Nylander
- Easton Cowan
- Nick Robertson
- Matias Maccelli
- Dakota Joshua
- Steven Lorentz
Granted the last three are likely stapled to the bottom-six, but it's hard to fit everyone in without stunting someone's growth.
For example:
McKenna - Matthews - Nylander
Knies - Tavares - Kane
Cowan - 3C - Robertson
Joshua - 4C - Lorentz
If you're keeping Matias Maccelli, he hasn't got a place and you're throwing Easton Cowan on the third line which is preventing him from really reaching his top-six potential and finding chemistry with the top stars.
McKenna - Matthews - Kane
Cowan - Tavares - Nylander
Knies - 3C - Robertson
Joshua - 4C - Maccelli
This lineup is a little more balanced but now all of a sudden you have the powerful and incredible skillset of Matthew Knies toiling on the third line. Steven Lorentz gets pushed out but that isn't as big a deal as Knies getting shoved down.
Adding Kane does add a lot of positives into the lineup but it's at the cost of stunting someone's growth and progress. For a team looking to compete now, he makes sense but for a team also looking to build for the future - it's a hard sell.
Do you think it's a good idea or bad idea for Toronto to sign Patrick Kane?
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