Patrick Kane Headlines NHL Free Agents Still Unsigned

Training camps are approaching.

And Patrick Kane, a three-time Cup winner, still does not have a contract.

The NHL free agents still unsigned in mid-July are headlined by three names: Kane, Patrik Laine, and Anthony Mantha.

Five years ago, all three would have been franchise cornerstones. Today they are waiting for the phone to ring. Smart general managers know this is when the real value shows up.

Why is Patrick Kane still an unsigned free agent?

Because the 37-year-old right wing is choosing his landing spot, not chasing the first offer.

Kane had a productive season last year.

His career numbers are staggering: 508 goals, 892 assists across regular-season games with the Blackhawks, Rangers, and Red Wings. Chicago selected him No. 1 overall in the NHL Draft. He has been worth every bit of that pick for the better part of two decades.

The production is not the issue. Issue: fit.

A three-time Cup winner knows what a contender looks like. He is not going to waste his final seasons on a team going nowhere. The question is whether Kane waits for a contender or simply retires. Any team adding a player with significant career points instantly changes its locker room and power play. But that team has to exist, and it has to have the cap space to make it work.

This happens with aging legends.

A Hall of Fame-caliber player holds out for the right contender fit rather than rushing into the first offer. The risk for Kane is that the right call never comes.

Is Anthony Mantha the safest free agent signing?

Yes, without question.

Mantha is coming off a career year. He set personal bests across the board in goals, assists, and points over a full season.

Those are top-six forward numbers over a full season, not a short streak.

A team that needs scoring depth should be all over this.

Mantha just proved he can produce over a full season. The market has thinned fast and most big names have committed. A general manager looking past the safest signing on the board is doing it wrong.

Can Patrik Laine still score 30?

The talent says absolutely. The injury history says do not bet your season on it.

Laine is a seven-time 20-goal scorer and a former 44-goal man. That is elite finishing ability. But he played only a few games last season before his season ended due to injury. He has been limited to a significant number of games over the past few seasons.

That is the number that scares general managers.

But the upside is the whole point. One team's reclamation project is another's bargain. If Laine is healthy, if someone gives him a clean slate and a top-six role, the payoff is big. The highest-upside lottery ticket on the board, bar none. Question: whether any team is willing to roll those dice.

What happens if these UFAs stay unsigned?

The clock is ticking.

Training camps approach and the market thins. What is left is the bargain bin, and that is where the smartest teams do their best work.

Kane is the name to watch. A contender gets a three-time Cup winner at a fraction of his old price, or he walks away at 37 with nothing left to prove. Mantha is the safest bet on the board and somehow still available. Laine is the gamble that could win someone a playoff round or cost them a roster spot.

So who makes the call?

That is the storyline for the rest of the summer. September gets here faster than anyone thinks.