The Patrick Kane story will be something that could stretch well into the regular season, as the three-time Cup winner continues to rehab from offseason hip resurfacing surgery.

The 34-year-old was hampered last season with Chicago and after he was traded to New York, but the expectation is that he will be back to his old self after the same surgery that the Caps Niklas Backstrom had.

The expectation was that Kane will be available sometime after Christmas, and according to TSN's Darren Dreger, Kane has been rehabbing in Toronto since July and that he might be ready before Christmas.

The next question is where Kane will land, and that will depend on what type of contract he is willing to accept. There has to be some hesitancy for teams to agree to anything long-term coming off an injury, and with most contending teams up against the cap, the only way a team like the New York Rangers or the Toronto Maple Leafs could sign him is for the minimum $775,000.

Rumors have tied him to the Detroit Red Wings, who are desperate to make the playoffs, and Dreger reported that Kane to his hometown Buffalo Sabres, but that could be because they are one of the few teams with a lot of cap maneuverability this season.

It is hard to imagine that Kane will sign with a team that is not a contender, but this situation has some time to play out.....

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