The Toronto Maple Leafs had a busy offseason in regards to re-tooling their roster, making the necessary moves in order to make this team more difficult to play against. The additions of Tyler Bertuzzi, Max Domi and Ryan Reaves certainly show that change in mentality. They have the skill but also have the drive to win and make life difficult for the opposition.
It’s definitely a direction that’s different from the one that we’ve seen in the past where they load up on skill and let that do the work. While it has been quiet since their major free agent splashes, they appear set on heading into camp with the players that they have. However, with the news of forward Patrick Kane returning to the ice three months after offseason hip surgery, could he remain an option for the Maple Leafs to sign on a prove it kind of deal?
It’s always possible as many teams would line up for his skillset. He’s been an elite level player with the Chicago Blackhawks before being traded to the New York Rangers– winning three Stanley Cups and being the 2015-16 MVP– but adding him to the Maple Leafs should be taken in stride.
Kane’s Recovery and Outlook
Kane’s hip issue has been the talk of last season, leading up to the deadline and even into the postseason. He was set to become an unrestricted free agent when the offseason started, but in the process he elected for hip resurfacing surgery. The downside was about a four to six month recovery period which impacted his free agent status.
To this point, Kane remains without a contract, but the good news is that he has been back on the ice skating and working out. Kane said that he’s feeling much better than he was previously, which could be a sign that he can be the player that he was before the 2022-23 season. Even though he remains without a contract he does remain hopeful that teams could approach and give him a deal.
“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 told the Associated Press.
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At the moment, it looks as if Kane is well ahead of schedule in his recovery and that the outlook is positive. However, he could still miss time when the camps open and even extending into the first month or so of the regular season. For someone with Kane’s track record to be one of the most productive wingers in the league, it could very well be worth it to sign him to a short-term deal, similar to that of Vladimir Tarasenko with the Ottawa Senators. That could definitely be beneficial for Kane.
Will Kane Get Back to Form?
To say that Kane has been one of the top producing wingers since he entered the league is an understatement as he has 1,237 points to his name. Since 2015-16, Kane is third overall in the league with 680 points in 604 games, behind only Connor McDavid (first) and Leon Draisaitl (second). That is until last season where he had 57 points combined with both the Blackhawks and Rangers, where he never dipped below 60 points at all in his career. While there was the shortened lockout season in 2012-13 where he had 55 points, if you were to adjust that over an 82-game schedule he would’ve had 105 points, according to Hockey Reference.
While he can produce and be one of the top playmakers in the game, his underlying numbers tell a very different story as he has seen a steady decrease in those numbers after the 2017-18 season. Here’s a full breakdown of his numbers at five-on-five.
| Season | CF% | GF% | xG% | SCF% |
| 2018-19 | 48.86 | 55.63 | 44.91 | 46.67 |
| 2019-20 | 47.44 | 59 | 45.49 | 47.64 |
| 2020-21 | 44.41 | 51.09 | 41.70 | 41.50 |
| 2021-22 | 49.08 | 49.24 | 46.44 | 46.93 |
| 2022-23 | 40.17 (CHI) 46.36 (NYR) | 41.98 (CHI) 57.69 (NYR) | 38.33 (CHI) 43.22 (NYR) | 37.78 (CHI) 41.06 (NYR) |
Kane’s numbers aren’t that appealing in controlling the play and generating offense. While he’s on the ice, the team does have a strong goals for percentage, but the overall impact isn’t quite felt in the shot attempts or scoring chances for department. In addition, his expected goals are extremely low based on the quality of shots taken. Even this stat card from the previous season to now isn’t that great either.
This is an interesting case when it comes to Kane. While the hip injury played a factor, his production has been on a decline even before that. You could attribute that the Blackhawks haven’t been as competitive the last few seasons, Kane is just one season removed from where he had a 92-point season on a poor Blackhawks team. When you see him play, you think that he’s the best player out there, but the numbers seem to tell a different story where he isn’t strong defensively and isn’t controlling the play as he should.
Even when Kane got traded to the Rangers, you saw more of the same thing as he wasn’t quite as impactful. Even underneath it all, it looked like he was struggling to adjust and didn’t quite amount to the trade acquisition they were hoping for. It’s always possible that he can regain his form, but there were some warning signs in regards to his play beforehand.
Been on Maple Leafs Radar, but is He a Fit?
We’ve looked at the injury and the numbers, but the big question remains, is Kane truly a fit for the Maple Leafs after they added that blend of skill and character? He has been on their radar previously in regards to making a big splash and adding to the team’s top-six. While he would bring even more offensive depth to the team, it doesn’t feel like it’ll happen. Obviously, the salary cap is definitely one as they’re already in a crunch, but there are a few other things to consider.
For one, the Maple Leafs are already set on the right side with Mitch Marner and William Nylander being as productive as they’ve been the last two seasons. Marner is just as dynamic as Kane and Nylander has been a key player for them at critical moments. To demote them or even shift them to the left side is not even in the cards at this point. Both players also have chemistry built with both Auston Matthews and John Tavares. Inserting Kane after he struggled with the Rangers could be another situation where he may take some time to find his footing.
You could move Kane to the left side. Though, after addressing that in free agency, plus rookie Matthew Knies looking for consistent top-six minutes, you don’t want to take that away from any of them. Bertuzzi, Knies and Domi will look to fill out that left side this season and can bring something Kane can’t– the ability to not shy away from the tough areas.
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While any team, including the Maple Leafs, could use Kane’s offensive, playmaking abilities, it doesn’t seem like Kane would be a good fit even if they were to sign him on a prove it contract. However, given the Maple Leafs still need to work around the cap, it would be best if they steer clear of signing Kane. They have enough offensive talent to make do without him plus a new found mindset with the offseason acquisitions.
At any other point, Kane would be an ideal target. Just not now.
Statistics form Natural Stat Trick, NHL and Hockey Reference.