This is a yes and no answer for me. Sustaining offensive pressure does NOT help Kane, IMO, since he is horrendous in reading the offensive zone and finding the soft areas of the ice. So sustained pressure makes absolutely no difference. However players that are able to help Kane get a quick break out of the defensive zone are useful which might help him somewhat. I don't feel that that difference is worth it compared to a player able to contribute overall to an offensive line with smart players therefore I find him more useful on a useless 3rd line where he makes everything himself which is where he excels. He creates HUGE problems for opposing teams by being the guy who is on the line nobody expects (ie taking easiest matchups) and making plays himself out of it. He does not play well with others.
I think there might be a bit of chicken and egg going on here. Does Kane play with crap players because he doesn't play well with others OR does Kane not play well with others because he's playing with crap players?
I saw a lot more sharing the puck, vision, and offensive smarts/ play with Kane last season. I think he has the ability to be better at it and I think if he plays with guys who can also handle the puck and get it back to him I'd bet he develops that part of his game even more.
I don't buy that the org. is putting him with crap players because he wastes good players and is better on his own. They put him with crap players because he is the best at creating chances by himself and that is what the team needed with our lack of depth. I fully expect Kane to play with better players this year and if he can build chemistry with Perreault for example, I'd bet he will play more of a team game with the puck offensively.
Don't get me wrong, Kane is a spotlight guy and will ALWAYS want the puck and want to shoot it (and that's what makes great scorers great), but I think he will incorporate the other part into his game because he realizes that a great puck handler/ shooter who will pass at will is far more scary for defensemen.
I love playing against guys who hog the puck. Sure, the really good ones might manage an inside out move or double toe drag on me occasionally, and sometimes just through the very skill of their shot score, but more often than not I can just look at their shoulders and cause them to button hook, go wide, or take the puck from them. The guys that I hate are the ones that draw me to them and then dish the puck. They force you to play them more conservatively which allows them more space to make a move or take a shot.
