One major contender steps out of Patrick Kane sweepstakes!

It is officially November and, technically, free agent forward Patrick Kane should be looking at a new contract in the NHL this month after rehabbing from hip resurfacing surgery he underwent in June. His agent Pat Brisson mentioned more than once that his client will be fielding offers at the start of November while Kane also takes a closer look at the NHL’s landscape and feels out which teams will be a top contender, another chance at a fourth championship before heading towards retirement.

The Buffalo Sabres, Detroit Red Wings, Toronto Maple Leafs, Carolina Hurricanes, Florida Panthers and New York Rangers have been linked to Kane since this summer, and recently the Boston Bruins and Dallas Stars were added to the mix.

However, the interest to sign Kane might have died down for one of these destinations with Boston Hockey Now’s Jimmy Murphy hearing that the Bruins have taken themselves out of the sweepstakes.

“According to numerous NHL sources, though, the Bruins are not expected to be serious suitors for Kane when contract talks kick into high gear potentially as soon as next week,” writes Murphy.

“Don’t expect the Bruins to be in on Patrick Kane,” an NHL source explained to Boston Hockey Now on Saturday morning.

“First of all, they don’t have the cap space to make it happen even if we’re talking like a one-year, $3 million contract. They also have plenty of wingers and would need to move one of them out. That’s easier said than done right now, with so many teams battling the cap. Now, if Kane let it be known to Don Sweeney that the Bruins were his top choice to sign with, well, then maybe Sweeney tries to pull some cap magic to make it happen. I don’t know. I just don’t see it.”

When you look at the Bruins’ cap on Puck Pedia, it all makes sense. Boston has just over $687,500 in cap room. They were recently so tight on the cap that they sent sidelined veteran forward Milan Lucic on the long-term injury reserve in order to create enough space to to call up Oskar Steen as his replacement.

We get that Kane won’t cash as much as his previous contracts this time around, but it sure sounds like Boston won’t be on the list. Kane will look at all other contenders to see where he takes his talents.

And we cannot wait to find out where.

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