NHL lockout: Patrick Kane not fleeing to Europe yet

Chicago Blackhawks forward Patrick Kane was close to signing a deal to play with a European team during the NHL lockout, but he has decided to put those plans on hold, according to the Chicago Tribune:

"I would say I was close maybe a week or two ago to going over," Kane said. "I'm just kind of waiting for the right situation. You hear the negotiations are going better and you don't want to make any rush to get over there and have to come back in a couple of weeks."

Four Blackhawks players are currently competing in Europe. Viktor Stalberg is playing in Sweden, and Bryan Bickell is playing in Austria. Michael Frolik and Michal Rozsival have signed with teams in the Czech Republic.

The NHL Players' Association offered three counterproposals on Thursday, all of which were quickly rejected by the league. As it stands now, the lockout doesn't appear to have an end in sight. Still, Kane isn't ready to make a move just yet. If he does sign to play in Europe, the 23-year-old has a couple of destinations in mind:

"We're talking to some different teams in Switzerland and Sweden, mostly, so probably one of those two," Kane said.