Patrick Kane asked about NHL future amid Sabres, Blackhawks rumors

Patrick Kane was among the countless athletes and celebrities at Fanatics Fest 2026 in New York City over the weekend. The nine-time NHL All-Star was unsurprisingly asked about his hockey future as he remains on the free-agent market ahead of the 2026-27 season.

Kane, who's rumored to have narrowed his list of potential destinations to his first NHL team (the Chicago Blackhawks) and his hometown club (the Buffalo Sabres), was asked what comes next by Trainwreck Sports during an autograph signing:

The 37-year-old three-time Stanley Cup champion remained an effective offensive contributor for the Detroit Red Wings last season, tallying 57 points (16 goals and 41 assists) in 67 games. It brought the dynamic winger up to 1,400 points in 1,369 career regular-season appearances.

His decision may hinge on what's most important to him at this stage of his decorated career.

Buffalo finally ended its 14-year playoff drought, the longest such streak in NHL history, last season and would give him a better opportunity to chase another Stanley Cup title in the short term. Getting to play all of his home games in front of family and friends is another factor in the equation.

Chicago may offer Kane a more prominent role as it attempts to turn a corner in its rebuilding efforts. The Hawks' No. 1 overall pick in the 2007 NHL Draft could earn first-line minutes alongside Connor Bedard once the budding superstar recovers from an offseason shoulder surgery.

Kane, despite his coy answer at Fanatics Fest, will probably make a decision soon as teams begin finalizing their rosters with less than two months until training camp.

Patrick Kane's possible Buffalo homecoming may hinge on Sabres' other offseason moves

For weeks, it's felt like Sabres general manager Jarmo Kekalainen has a couple more summer deals in his holster. That's mostly because the organization currently has at least 15 forwards set to battle for 13 roster spots up front.

It would make a ton of sense for Buffalo to send out a couple roster forwards, perhaps center Ryan McLeod and winger Jack Quinn, as part of a blockbuster trade for Winnipeg Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck.

Such a move would create enough top-nine space for both Noah Ostlund, who's currently penciled in on the fourth line (a role he's too good to fill on a long-term basis), and Kane.

Here's how the Sabres' forward lines could look if that scenario plays out, with Hellebuyck taking over as the club's starting goalie:

Justin Danforth and Tyson Kozak would compete for the No. 13 reserve forward role to round out the team's active roster.

The pieces fit together much easier that way than they do now, although there's always an argument for keeping as much depth as possible ahead of an 84-game season.

While there's been some conversation about two players from the group of Ostlund, Helenius and Kulich starting the campaign with the AHL's Rochester Americans — Kulich may spend time with the Amerks simply to get back up to full speed after missing most of last season with a blood clot — doing that simply because they're waivers exempt means the Sabres wouldn't be icing their best lineup.

Buffalo probably can't afford to make those type of decisions given the immense strength of the Atlantic Division this season. An early-season losing streak may create a hole the Blue and Gold can't dig out of in the fierce battle for a playoff berth in the Eastern Conference.

So, using an area of roster strength (and excess) to upgrade elsewhere (Hellebuyck) still feels like the best option, even though the speculation has died down over the past week or so.

Kekalainen has never been afraid to take a big swing, something he did quite frequently during his tenure leading the Columbus Blue Jackets' front office. Now be the time for him to take a chance on Hellebuyck and Kane being the pieces that can put the Sabres over the top.

If not, Buffalo will have some tough decisions to make at the end of training camp when it's forced to whittle its roster down to 23 players for the Oct. 1 season opener against the Blue Jackets.

Today's best reads

• Patrick Kane joining the Sabres would be about more than hockey
• Chris Chelios confirms Patrick Kane is deciding between 2 NHL teams
• Patrick Kane to the Toronto Maple Leafs is the exact nightmare the Sabres must avoid
• Buffalo Sabres should pay whatever price the Winnipeg Jets want to acquire Connor Hellebuyck
• NHL analyst declares Buffalo Sabres Stanley Cup window is 'wide open'

This article was originally published on sabrenoise.com as Patrick Kane asked about NHL future amid Sabres, Blackhawks rumors.