Rumor: Leafs and Red Wings listed as trade destinations for Patrick Kane

In his latest column for The Hockey News reporter Mike Stephens lists both the Toronto Maple Leafs and Detroit Red Wings as potential trade destination for Chicago Blackhawks superstar Patrick Kane.

From Stephens:

...you could argue that the lone remaining hole on the Maple Leafs' roster is at second line left wing, with the likes of Pierre Engvall, Alex Kerfoot, or unproven 21-year-old Nick Robertson each coming with their own risks. 

Enter: Kane. 

Of course, Kane plays on the right wing, so it's not a perfect fit on paper. But when a talent like his is involved, you shuffle your deck to make it work -- either by selling Kane on the benefits of playing his off wing alongside Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner on the first line while bumping Michael Bunting down to the second, or by moving William Nylander to the left on the second line in order for Kane to take his place. 

Okay, so despite the fact that Kane doesn't play the position that the Leafs are looking to fill, it's a good fit? Uh... what about Kane's insane $10.5 million annual salary?

More from Stepehens:

Kane makes $10.5 million per year. To fit him under the cap, the Maple Leafs would first need to find a way to shed Jake Muzzin's $5.625 million without taking any money back -- like how the Lightning jettisoned Ryan McDonagh earlier this summer. 

After Muzzin is out the door, the Maple Leafs would then need to make Kerfoot's $3.5 million look attractive to the Blackhawks' brain trust while also surrendering at least one future first-round pick and, likely, two top prospects. The Leafs are about as "win-now" as it gets, so the thought of gutting their organizational pipeline for an elite offensive talent makes sense. But the club has shown a hesitancy to sell the farm for rentals under Kyle Dubas -- which is exactly what Kane would be. 

So not only would Kane be a poor fit for the Leafs on paper, they'd also have to trade one of their top defensemen and get the Blackhawks to take on an overpaid player in Alex Kerfoot to make it financially possible? I don't see it...

As for the Red Wings, here's what Stephens has to say:

The Red Wings wouldn't need to tire themselves out too much to fit Kane's contract onto their books, perhaps by adding a sweetener to Adam Erne's $2.1 million cap hit along with another guy making near league minimum -- maybe, Jake Walman? --  in exchange for a late-round pick. 

The thought of Kane alongside Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond is a tantalizing vision for anyone -- Red Wings management included. With a little elbow grease, they could turn it into reality.  

Now, on paper, this actually makes a bit of sense. But in reality, it hinges on the Kane's willingness to waive his no-trade clause to head to one of the Blackhawks' biggest historical rivals. There's no guarantee that the Red Wings make the playoffs and certainly no one has them pegged as Stanley Cup contenders, so why would Kane leave Chicago for a relatively similar situation in Detroit? Keep in mind that Kane will be an unrestricted free agent next offseason, so if he's going to waive his contract to go somewhere in a mercenary role for a year he's likely going to a contender. Again, I don't see it...