Could Patrick Kane have a homecoming for the 2026-27 season?

And if so, which home?

Kane, the fourth-leading scorer among active NHL players, is an unrestricted free agent after spending three seasons in Detroit, and the Chicago Blackhawks and Buffalo Sabres are two logical destinations for his services next season. Kane is a Buffalo native and a Chicago icon, so either landing spot would be fitting for the twilight of one of the best and most influential careers in modern hockey history.

But which one makes the most sense — for the team and for Kane? Let’s take a look.

Why the Sabres would be interested in Kane

The Sabres didn’t bring back Alex Tuch and haven’t added a forward this offseason. As things stand, the Sabres are banking on internal development from a group of young forwards that includes Noah Östlund, Konsta Helenius, Jiri Kulich, Zach Benson, Josh Doan and Jack Quinn. But adding some proven production wouldn’t hurt, either. On a per-game basis, Kane was more productive than Tuch last season. He’s not nearly the defensive player Tuch is, but he can help replace some of the goals Buffalo is losing. He still had 0.86 points per game over the last three seasons in Detroit.

Buffalo’s power play could definitely use Kane, too. Over the last three seasons, Kane is 23rd in the NHL in points per 60 minutes of power-play time, according to Natural Stat Trick. During that stretch, he’s ninth in the NHL in primary assists per 60 minutes of power-play time. The power play was one of the Sabres’ most glaring weaknesses at times last season. Kane’s knowledge and on-ice impact in that area would be a huge boost.

Kane has also won the Stanley Cup three times. Tuch and Bowen Byram, two of Buffalo’s most experienced playoff players, departed this offseason. Bringing in a player with Kane’s winning pedigree would be valuable for the Sabres’ young roster. It also doesn’t hurt that bringing in Kane would generate some buzz in an already re-energized fanbase. For the first time in years, the Sabres don’t need to worry about ticket sales, so that shouldn’t be a factor here.

Why the Blackhawks would be interested in Kane

Well, for starters, ticket sales and jersey sales would go through the roof. Kane might be the most popular player in franchise history, and a return to the United Center would delight most fans still longing for the 2010s glory days. Beyond the financial reasons, though, Kane would fill an obvious on-ice need for the Blackhawks — a top-six winger to play with Connor Bedard.

Kane might have lost a step at 37, but his game was never predicated on foot speed; instead, it’s been about processing speed. Few players in NHL history think the game as well as Kane does, and his vision, anticipation and incredible passing touch would mesh well with Bedard’s own high-end skill and hockey sense — once Bedard returns from shoulder surgery, presumably sometime in November. In the shorter term, Kane would help keep the offense afloat during Bedard’s absence. The Blackhawks were still assessing potential upgrades at winger before Bedard’s injury, and they do want to ensure that whoever they target makes sense when Bedard returns, but it would seem like Kane checks all those boxes.

One of the reasons general manager Kyle Davidson traded Kane ahead of the 2023 deadline was to clear the decks of the old stars, to allow the next generation of Blackhawks to grow into leadership roles unencumbered by the weight of the past. But now, with Bedard entrenched as the face and voice of the franchise, Kane could play a different, supporting role, easing that burden without overshadowing his successor.

Why Kane would be interested in the Sabres

After ending the playoff drought and coming within a goal of the Eastern Conference final, the Sabres now look like a legitimate contender. Kane hasn’t played in the playoffs since the 2022-23 season and hasn’t played in the second round since the 2019-20 season. If he’s looking for one last chance to make a run, the Sabres can offer that for the first time in more than a decade.

Winning is part of it, but Kane would also have a chance to play with some top-end players. Buffalo’s power play has struggled in recent years, and Kane could help in that department. He’s still an elite facilitator, and he’d probably enjoy setting up Tage Thompson, Quinn and some of Buffalo’s other high-end shooters.

Kane would also be going home. The South Buffalo native still has a lot of friends and family in the area. This might be the time to take the opportunity to play in front of family and friends every night as he’s in the final years of his career.

Why Kane would be interested in the Blackhawks

If he’s looking to win, Chicago probably isn’t the best spot for Kane. But if he’s looking for as large a role as possible, he can’t do much better than Chicago. He’d be all but assured a top-six role, likely a top-line role, riding shotgun with one of the best young players in the world. Kane wasn’t far off from being a point-a-game player in his three seasons in Detroit, with 163 points in 189 games. He could get back to that level, or close enough, at least, playing with Bedard. Kane is 24th all-time in points, and has always believed he could play into his 40s. The top 20 is well within reach, but he could go even higher in the right situation.

Then, of course, there’s the sentimental reason. Kane seemed quite happy in Detroit, but he made Chicago his home for 16 seasons, living in the city full-time starting with the 2015-16 season. There will be a statue of him outside the United Center someday, and inside, there are still as many No. 88 jerseys as there are 98s. As a player who thinks a lot about his legacy, the idea of a full-circle moment at the end of his career has to be appealing.

Where Kane would fit in the Sabres lineup

Right now, he wouldn’t. That’s part of the problem. Currently, the Sabres have 10 forwards who could realistically play in the top nine. That number is 11 if you count Peyton Krebs, who is still unsigned but played a good chunk of last season on the top line with Thompson and Tuch. The biggest hangup in the Sabres adding Kane is making room for him in the lineup. He would be the perfect addition to the Sabres’ top power-play group, which finished in the bottom half of the league last season. He probably wouldn’t be a top-line winger, but the Sabres would need to find a spot for him in the top three lines. I imagine they would try to limit his five-on-five minutes a bit and feature him on the power play. But it feels like Kane ending up in Buffalo would be contingent on another trade happening that sends one or two forwards out.

Patrick Kane lifting the Stanley Cup in 2013. (Bruce Bennett / Getty Images)

Where Kane would fit in the Blackhawks lineup

How Kane would fit in Chicago can be gauged in two ways: before Bedard returns from injury, and after. Before, Kane’s role would likely be massive. The Blackhawks have several young players they’re hopeful will be major contributors this season, but they’re mostly inexperienced. Roman Kantserov, last season’s KHL-leading goal scorer, will be in his first NHL season. Anton Frondell, the 2025 No. 3 pick, has played just 12 NHL games. There are plenty of others. In a top-six role and on the top power play, Kane would be looked to produce and ease those players into the NHL.

Once Bedard returns, Kane’s role would change. The puck wouldn’t go through him as often, but there would be an opportunity for him and Bedard to gain chemistry and develop a playing style together. From Jonathan Toews to Patrick Sharp to Artemi Panarin to Alex DeBrincat, Kane has played with many different high-end players with the Blackhawks and figured out a way to make it work for both of them. Bedard would be no different. As good as Bedard’s shot may be, he’s just as much of a playmaker and could thrive with someone like Kane.

The cons of Kane going to the Sabres

The lingering question that only Kane can answer is whether going home to Buffalo is more of a pro than a con. His off-ice problems in Buffalo are in the distant past, but it would still be a topic of conversation if he signed with the Sabres. Playing near friends and family can be a pro, but only Kane knows whether it would also come with distractions he might want to avoid.

From the Sabres’ perspective, the con of signing Kane is potentially blocking opportunities for Buffalo’s younger players. As noted, the Sabres’ lineup is crowded already. Moving things around to accommodate Kane comes with some risk, given his age and injury history. But Buffalo’s depth would allow them to handle the occasional absence.

The cons of Kane going to the Blackhawks

Kane got a taste of the Blackhawks’ rebuild to varying degrees over his last six seasons with the organization. Trading him in 2023 was Davidson’s final tanking move to get a shot at drafting Bedard. The Blackhawks have slowly improved and added more promising young players to their roster in recent years, but there is no guarantee Kane would step into a team on the verge of winning again. They might still be a year or two away from that.

Kane has to decide what’s important to him in what will likely be the final year(s) of his career. There’s a chance he could help the Blackhawks take that next step and elevate Bedard, while his legacy in Chicago would grow even more. There’s also a chance the Blackhawks still have some growing pains ahead of them. It’s still a very young and inexperienced team. The focus will be on Kane to produce, but also to bring along the team’s young players. Is he up for that, especially if the team isn’t winning? That might be the largest hurdle in his decision on a return to Chicago.