Patrick Kane reveals that his recovery is ahead of schedule and when he plans to listen to contract offers
As we approach the start of NHL training camps, there are still a number of quality players available on the free agent market - the most enticing being 3-time Stanley Cup winner Patrick Kane.
Kane underwent offseason hip surgery 3 months ago and, according to the 34-year-old himself during an interview with The Associated Press, he's well ahead of schedule and could likely return sooner than expected if he wanted to. Kane was originally given a 4-6 month timeline for recovery, and while he's recovered enough to participate in training camp, Kane revealed that he's still less than 100% and may not take any chances.
"It's just exciting to see progression and just feeling better on the ice, kind of getting back to my old self, so it's pretty exciting. I think we're at the point now where, I mean, could I come back early? Yeah, probably. But, does it make sense? You know, it might be better to take the full time and just make sure I'm at 105-110% instead of just 90-95. But it's a lot better than I was last year." - Kane on
Some reports from earlier this summer indicated that Kane may already know which team he'll play with next season. Well, according to the man himself, that's not necessarily true. Kane said he plans to field some offers from teams in a couple of weeks when training camps open up and that he plans to keep his options open.
"If someone wanted to come and give an offer that I was excited about, and a situation that I'm excited about, it's not like I wouldn't be listening just because of the situation I'm in." - Kane on his plans to consider contract offers
Many are wondering if the Maple Leafs might be a dark horse in the Patrick Kane sweepstakes, given how close Toronto is to Kane's hometown of Buffalo, NY. There's also his relationship with Auston Matthews to consider, as both players admire one another greatly and have expressed a desire to play with one another on the international stage in the past. The question is, do the Leafs have an interest in bringing Kane to Toronto and can they make the money work?
POLL |
SEPTEMBRE 1 | 107 ANSWERS Patrick Kane reveals that his recovery is ahead of schedule and when he plans to listen to contract offers Where will Patrick Kane end up signing? |
Toronto | 37 | 34.6 % |
Colorado | 18 | 16.8 % |
New York | 25 | 23.4 % |
Other | 27 | 25.2 % |
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