My bet is Drury and Kane have already worked out a similar deal as Wheeler for 1 year after he turns 35, that way they can add incentives.

Someone told me he isn’t eligible for the 35+ contract because he has to be 35 by a certain date. Not sure how much of it is true

Per Capfriendly,

What is a 35-plus contract?
A contract is designated a 35+ contract if the players age on the first year of the contract is 35 or older (as of June 30 prior to the year of the effective contract).

He turns 35 on 11/19/23 at which time he can sign a 35+ contract. Since he is still rehabbing his hip, it's no rush to sign him now.

This is what makes Kane signing a + 35 deal potentially a no go..

What is a 35-plus contract?
A contract is designated a 35+ contract if the players age on the first year of the contract is 35 or older (as of June 30 prior to the year of the effective contract).

35+ contracts that are two years in length or longer and:
1. Have a signing bonus in the 2nd or later year, OR
2. Are front-loaded
Will not benefit from a reduced cap hit regardless of the players location of play, termination, retired status, or a buyout. This rule was introduced by the NHL to prevent teams from backloading contracts past when the player was expected to retire. An exception to this rule is that a team will receive a $100,000 cap hit reduction if the player is on the 2nd or later year of the contract and assigned to the minors

Yea I think he’s eligible for 35+ contract next year