What Sabres do now after Patrick Kane signs with Blackhawks

Jul 23, 2026 - 14:05

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What Sabres do now after Patrick Kane signs with Blackhawks originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Buffalo Sabres were reportedly one of the final two teams being considered by free agent winger Patrick Kane.

He chose a return to the Chicago Blackhawks, though, and so the Sabres are left as the runner-up with no prize to show for it.

Kane is originally from Buffalo, so there was hoped to be some pull there, but apparently the NHL familiarity of the Blackhawks won out.

That leaves the Sabres maybe one player short from what they hoped to achieve this offseason.

What's next for the Sabres?

Buffalo still will probably seek out one more veteran forward.

Kane would've been a big get, both for his local roots and his Hall of Fame credentials.

But the reality is that the Sabres are mostly set on their forward lines. The key to what they still could accomplish is ensuring that they don't need to use a young skater as the extra forward on the NHL roster who gets scratched most nights. Right now, they skew just a bit too young to avoid that.

Signing a veteran skater would allow someone to stay in the AHL for a bit more seasoning, at least in the early stages of the season while everyone is healthy.

Buffalo could also proceed as is. Kane would've been a bit of a luxury. The Sabres have a good roster, but they probably will continue to pursue improvements, because after making the playoffs for the first time in 15 years, the last thing they'll want to run into is a letdown.