Patrick Kane is taking his talents to the Motor City. On Tuesday, he signed a one-year, $2.75 million contract with the Detroit Red Wings.
The Red Wings, who are in the hunt for a playoff spot, pick up a former number one pick who has scored 451 goals in 1180 games while also picking up 786 assists. He’s also a three-time Stanley Cup winner, Hart Trophy winner, and a first ballot hall-of-famer.
On the flip side, Kane is also 35-years-old and is just six months removed from a hip surgery that hasn’t always produced solid results for players who have had it in the past. The Red Wings are banking on the fact that the hip issues were the primary cause of Kane’s poor 2022-23 season that saw him produce just 57 points over 73 games, the lowest output of his career.
For Kane, Detroit is a pretty good landing spot as they have a spot for him on the top-six and also on the power play. He gets to play with Alex DeBrincat, who he had spent some time with on a line in Chicago. Should he produce and the Red Wings still fall out of the playoff race, he has the option of waiving his no-trade clause and going to a contender.
We’ll see if general manager Steve Yzerman has added a key piece to the rebuilding Red Wings, or if this is just a waste of cap space.
Lightning / NHL News
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