Patrick Kane will not make an encore visit to the New York Rangers, per a report by Larry Brooks of the New York Post.
The thought of Patrick Kane skating on the right wing for the New York Rangers has become less likely after Larry Brooks of the New York Post reported that Kane would not resign with the Blueshirts.
Kane was a trade deadline acquisition for the Rangers last March, a move that general manager Chris Drury was adamant in making. With the team flirting with the salary cap ceiling, Drury played with a short roster for four games to acquire enough cap space to sign the former Chicago Blackhawks superstar after he waived his no-trade clause. The Blueshirts sent a 2023 second and fourth-round draft pick to Chicago to complete the trade.
Brooks reported the Rangers, according to well-placed industry sources, have never been in the mix for the right-wing.
Offseason Surgery
The unrestricted free agent had hip resurfacing surgery in the offseason and has been skating in Toronto for the past few weeks.
Rumors of where Kane will end up signing have included the Toronto Maple Leafs, Florida Panthers, Buffalo Sabres, Detroit Red Wings, Dallas Stars, and the Tampa Bay Lightning.
The 34-year-old is a native of Buffalo, New York, but it’s unclear who has the upper hand in signing the 16-year veteran.
Only a few players with hip resurfacing surgery have struggled to return to play competitively.
A recent example of this is the Washington Capitals’s Nicklas Backstrom. He had this procedure done in the summer of 2022 and missed the first three and a half months of last season before returning.
This season, he took a leave from the team after eight games, sighting a continuous battle with his hip.
Follow Frank on X at @RangerProud.
