Rangers one of 'four main contenders' to sign Patrick Kane: report

The Rangers are one of the "four main contenders" to sign Patrick Kane, reports Chris Johnston of TSN.

Per TSN, the Sabres, Red Wings, and Panthers are the other three teams most heavily involved in the Kane sweepstakes. 

"Those are believed to be the four main contenders, and Kane and his agent Pat Brisson are now gonna work their way through talking to those organizations, figure out where the best fit is, and ultimately signing his next contract," Johnston said during an appearance on TSN.

Kane was dealing with a hip issue when the Rangers traded for him at last season's trade deadline, and it showed during his brief stint in New York.

But Kane is now back at full strength following offseason hip surgery.

After the Rangers acquired Kane from the Blackhawks last season for draft picks, he notched five goals and seven assists in 19 regular season games.

In the playoffs, Kane had one goal and five assists during the Rangers' seven-game loss to the Devils in the first round.

Before being traded to the Rangers, Kane had long expressed his desire to join former teammate Artemi Panarin. The pair played together on the same line in Chicago from 2015 to 2017.

The Rangers already have some serious firepower including Panarin, Chris Kreider, and Mika Zibanejad, but adding a healthy Kane to the mix would elevate a team that is already viewed as a legitimate Cup contender.