Patrick Kane linked to 3 teams in the Atlantic Division.

In spite of the fact that most believe we are not likely to see a trade until some time closer to the trade deadline, the rumor mill surrounding Chicago Blackhawks superstar forward Patrick Kane continues to keep on churning. It makes sense given the magnitude of player we're talking about here, but the reality is that Kane is likely going to want to wait until closer to the trade deadline so he can better asses which teams would give him a legitimate chance of contending for another Stanley Cup.

Despite that though we now have Patrick Kane being linked to 3 different teams in the National Hockey League's Atlantic Division, and this latest comes to us via Matt Porter of the Boston Globe. In a recent article for the Globe that covered a number of teams, Porter revealed his belief that there are 3 possible destinations for Kane in the Atlantic.

From Porter:

Buffalo has more than enough cap space ($19 million or so) to bring him home, where he could jockey with Alex Tuch for the title of biggest childhood Sabres fan.

The Buffalo Sabres are probably the frontrunners in the minds of most, being Kane's hometown team. The issue for the Sabres of course is that they have not been a legitimately competitive team for quite some time. If they can turn it around this season though it could be enough to entice Kane to return home.

Porter also went on to describe his thoughts regarding the Maple Leafs:

Toronto can create room for some of Kane’s $10.5 million cap hit, adding Kane would give the Maple Leafs their most Cup-worthy squad in decades.

There has already been plenty of talking linking Kane to the Toronto Maple Leafs but this one seems like something of a pipe dream from a hockey crazed media in Toronto. Not only would Kane have to agree to waive his trade protection to go to Toronto, but the Maple Leafs would have to find a way to work some serious magic to get Kane under the cap while also giving up enough to convince the Blackhawks to pull the trigger.

Porter's most controversial take though came on the subject of the Detroit Red Wings:

If Chicago can hold its nose and send a franchise icon to Detroit, the Red Wings could move their rebuild into overdrive …

Given the history between these two teams and the current public sentiment surrounding the Blackhawks after some ugly scandals and the gutting of their roster, this would be a tough sell for the fanbase. If the Red Wings make the Blackhawks the best offer however, it would be a mistake not to consider it.

Do you see Kane ending up on any of these rosters? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.