Rumor: Patrick Kane to land in Buffalo?

Given the moves that the Chicago Blackhawks made ahead of this year's National Hockey League trade deadline many pundits have felt confident in saying that the team is moving towards a full on rebuild. It makes sense given the combination of their poor results, a big shift in front office management, and the scandals that have rocked the franchise in recent months and that has left many to wonder what will come next for some of the team's biggest names.

At or near the top of that list of questions are the ones that surround the future of Blackhawks star forward Patrick Kane. The 3 time Stanley Cup Champion continues to produce at a world class level and even in the middle of an ugly season for the Blackhawks, this year has been no exception. Kane has scored 21 goals and added 57 assists this season for a combined total of 78 points in just 62 games, and when combined with the fact that he has only one year remaining on his deal beyond this one it should come as no surprise that talk of a potential trade arose leading up to the deadline.

One of the most popular destinations linked to Kane has been the Buffalo Sabres, a team based out of Kane's hometown of Buffalo, New York, and in a recent mailbag Buffalo Sabres insider John Vogl was asked about the potential of the Sabres acquiring Kane via a trade.

"You’re not delusional and you’re not alone," wrote Vogl on Monday. "Kane was the subject of several mailbag questions, and I’ve called for his arrival a few times in recent years."

Although the Sabres may not seem like the most attractive destination from a hockey perspective, the team is currently 28 points out of a playoff spot this season, the fact of the matter is the Sabres have looked much better in the latter stages of the season. Even though Vogl seems to believe that the move would make sense however, he cautioned against making such a trade given how much of their future the Sabres would have to mortgage in order to get the deal done.

"Two firsts and more is the likely starting point," warned Vogl. "With the Sabres’ window just opening, that’s too much for a guy with only one year remaining on his contract."

Instead Vogl would like to see the Sabres wait out the final year of Kane's deal and look to make their move prior to the 2023 - 2024 National Hockey League regular season, where Kane in theory would become an unrestricted free agent.  Of course that would open up the risk of Kane re-signing with either the Chicago Blackhawks or perhaps even a team that would be willing to trade for him in the final year of his current deal, but the Sabres insider appears to believe that either the risk is worth taking or is confident in the fact that Kane himself has interest in coming back home to Buffalo.