Sportsnet analyst Pierre McGuire recently reported that coveted free agent winger Patrick Kane’s search is down to three teams. Those teams happen to be the Buffalo Sabres, Detroit Red Wings, and Toronto Maple Leafs. Of the three, which could be the best fit?

An Argument for the Buffalo Sabres

If all goes according to plan this season, the Buffalo Sabres will be one of the sixteen teams in the 2024 NHL playoffs. After missing out in 2023 by one point, redemption must be on the minds of the members of the Buffalo squad. A hometown return for Patrick Kane may turn out to be the missing piece of the puzzle. The team has just under $9 million in cap space available, which would be perfect to squeeze Kane in. If the future Hall of Famer were to join an already loaded forward core of Jeff Skinner, Tage Thompson, Dylan Cozens, and Alex Tuch, there’s no limit to offensive success. Defensively and goalie-wise, young stars Rasmus Dahlin and Owen Power are solid on the blue line and Devon Levi is committed to the starting spot in the crease. Buffalo may not only be a perfect match for Kane, but it has real potential to make a deep playoff run as well.

An argument for the Detroit Red Wings

In an offseason of little excitement, Detroit had one of the biggest moves. The Red Wings acquired former Kane teammate and Michigan-native Alex DeBrincat. After playing out the second half of the 2022-23 NHL season with the Ottawa Senators, DeBrincat opted to sign with his hometown team in free agency this summer. As Kane chose to waive his no-movement clause to sign with Artemi Panarin and the New York Rangers a few months ago, being reunited with another one of his Chicago partners-in-crime could be exactly what he desires this time as well. With the Boston Bruins and Florida Panthers expected to take overwhelmingly large steps back this season, Detroit has a real chance to move up in the Atlantic Division. If Kane is in “win-now” mode, the Motor City may not be his best move. However, there is absolutely a chance for Detroit to make a dent in the rankings this season and for Kane to be a large part of it.

An argument for the Toronto Maple Leafs

Coming off of a 17-year-long streak of not making it past the first round of the NHL playoffs, the Toronto Maple Leafs have a unique opportunity. The squad now has the confidence that it has been lacking for years and can fully unleash what it is capable of. Like the Sabres, the Maple Leafs will more likely than not be playing in late April, so why not add a star winger to boost chances? The only obstacle in Toronto’s way, though, would be the lack of cap space available. Kane is not going to command $10.5 million like his most recent contract, but $0 in cap space availability is not going to cut it if the team has serious interest in the winger. Kane could join the elite Maple Leafs core and have some fun on a club that has all of the determination in the world right now.