Patrick Kane could complete a full-circle return: here's where he may sign

Patrick Kane's free agency is heating up, and the Chicago Blackhawks just became relevant again.

Insider chatter picked up steam this week, and by Thursday the picture around Kane's next stop looked a little sharper.

David Pagnotta relayed on Sekeres & Price that Detroit isn't part of the equation right now.

Buffalo, he said, could be a homecoming option. Chicago, where Kane's whole career started, is apparently back in the conversation too.

Kane doesn't have a contract at the moment. That void is exactly what's fueling this rumor cycle.

Chicago's pitch would come loaded with history but not much winning. The Blackhawks finished this season 29-39-14, ranked 31st overall in the league.

Buffalo's case looks completely different. Under head coach Lindy Ruff, the Sabres finished 50-23-9, the best mark in their division.

That's a hard number to argue against if you're building a case for anywhere else.

Buffalo emerges as a sneaky fit in Kane's free agent search

Detroit, for what it's worth, appears to be fading from this race entirely, at least by the insider's account. Steve Yzerman's Red Wings closed the year at 41-31-10, a middling finish that clearly didn't help their pitch.

Ruff's Sabres, meanwhile, just posted a top four record in the entire league. That's the kind of season that makes a front office bold.

Does a pending free agent chase a contender, or does he chase the version of home that feels right? Those two things aren't always the same city.

Here's Bob's take. Chicago selling nostalgia while sitting near the bottom of the standings feels like a good story wrapped around a bad hockey argument.

Winning fixes more locker rooms than a jersey retirement ceremony ever will. Jeff Blashill's Blackhawks scored 213 goals and allowed 275, and those numbers explain the 31st overall ranking better than any front office talking point could.

Nothing here is signed. Nothing is even close to signed.

And until Kane actually picks a city, every team with a little cap room gets to pretend it's still in the running.