Don’t hold your breath on Patrick Kane’s next landing spot.
The star free-agent winger, who underwent hip-resurfacing surgery in June following a brief stint with the Rangers last season, is content with focusing on his health before the next NHL opportunity presents itself.
“There’s no rush. This is one I’m very comfortable with. I’m very calm,” Pat Brisson, Kane’s agent, said, according to ESPN.
“You could offer me a one-year deal or a two-year deal right now at $7 million or so. I don’t even know if I want to entertain it, because it’s not what he needs. We’ll see, at the right time, how he feels, where he’s at, and then we’ll take it from there.”
An unrestricted free agent for the first time in his career, Kane’s recovery is expected to take four to six months.
The three-time Stanley Cup champion should be ready to go by December, according to Brisson.
“He’s already ahead in his recovery right now. I do believe he’ll be ‘the Patrick Kane,’” Brisson said. “I’m always cautiously optimistic, but I’m extremely confident as well.”
Brisson is looking for a short-term deal that Kane could ink for the remainder of the 2023-24 season once healthy, and will then plan to sign a multi-year contract in the following offseason with a higher salary cap.
The NHL’s current collective bargaining agreement allows the cap to increase by just five percent in one year, thus projecting the cap to go up $1 million for next season.
Although Kane expressed he would like to stay in New York following the Rangers’ short-lived playoff run, the Blueshirts have been strapped for cash this free-agency period.
That said, the Rangers have been able to lock in one of their own, with the team agreeing to terms with K’Andre Miller on a two-year, $7.744 million deal on Tuesday.
The move leaves over $3 million in the bank to lock down Alexis Lafreniere with what’s expected to be another two-year bridge contract.
Traded to the Rangers in February after 16 seasons with the Blackhawks, Kane proceeded to post five goals and seven assists in 19 regular season games and added one goal and five assists in the playoffs.
The hip injury no doubt held him back from a true “Showtime” performance, begging the question of what version of Kane will emerge once healthy.
“I know I’m turning 35 next [season], but it’s not like I feel old. I still feel pretty young,” Kane said following the Rangers’ first-round exit to the Devils.
“I feel like the passion is still there. I still know that I can be a top player if my focus is solely on hockey instead of how I feel.”
Further, Kane wants to taste championship glory once more.
“Let’s make sure he is 100 percent and that he feels great. Then we can decide where he’s going to go,” Brisson said. “We’ll pick where we want to go. I don’t think too many teams will turn him down.”
Kane stands fourth among active players in points with 1,237 and sixth in goals with 451.
