Patrick Kane was one of the biggest free agents still left on the board, and now he has finally found his new home. The Detroit Red Wings have signed the future Hall of Famer to a one-year, $2.75 million contract.
Kane is coming off of a down 2022-23 season, but the primary reason behind it was his injury trouble. In 73 games split between the Chicago Blackhawks and Rangers, the 34-year-old posted 21 goals and 57 points. Although that is not bad production by any means, it is certainly low for his standards and was the first time he was under a point-per-game since the 2017-18 season. Yet, now that he had offseason hip surgery and is healthy, he should be refreshed, and it could lead to his production going back up.
Kane’s Fit With the Red Wings
Although Kane missed a decent portion of the season, he should be a strong addition to the Red Wings’ roster. Even after a down season, his numbers reflect that he is still capable of being a second-line forward at a minimum. When looking at Red Wings’ roster, he should easily slot into their top six. He also has the potential to make some real magic on a line with Dylan Larkin and former Blackhawks teammate Alex DeBrincat.
Furthermore, when noting that Kane is still a very effective playmaker, there is no question that he will be a key contributor to their power-play unit. This is where Kane truly shines most, and he has the potential to make a real difference when seeing the skilled players that he will have the opportunity to play with on it.
Kane Offers Plethora of Experience
Everybody knows that Kane is a very skilled player, but he offers much more than just his offense. Keep in mind, this is a player who went on to win three Stanley Cups with the Blackhawks to go along with a Conn Smythe Award. Furthermore, he has 1,180 games of NHL experience over his 16-year career, so he will serve as one of the Red Wings’ leaders as they try to get back into the playoffs. With that, he should serve as a great mentor for the team’s younger players.
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With the Red Wings looking to make a real push for the playoffs, it makes sense that they have added Kane. He has had a ton of success in this league, and he should be a strong leader on their roster because of it.
Will Kane Stay Healthy?
Perhaps the one risk in this Kane signing is his health. He was clearly dealing with something serious all throughout last season, and the hope is that the surgery will help with this. However, with Kane now being 35 years old and having major surgery, one has to wonder if he can stay away from the injury bug from here.
However, at the same time, when noting that Kane is still a very productive player, this is an understandable move made by the Red Wings. This contract is not too expensive for a team that has money to work with, and there’s very little risk with this being only a one-year pact. It will be intriguing to see if Kane can bounce back with the Red Wings and put together the kind of season we all know he is capable of from here.
