Even though we are a week into the NHL season, there are a few lingering questions from the offseason. The biggest one is where star forward Patrick Kane is going to sign. It is not usual that we see someone of Kane’s talent and stats being a free agent for so long. However, a combination of a flat cap and off-season hip surgery has made Kane more of a gamble. Teams aren’t sure what they are going to get when they bring him in. It isn’t a certainty that they’re going to bring in Kane, and he’ll be the player he was when he was winning Cups for the Blackhawks.
However, despite these concerns, a few teams have expressed interest in signing him. Some of these shouldn’t come as a surprise, teams like the Rangers, Devils, and Stars. All of which have very high expectations going into the season. The three of them could very well be lifting Lord Stanley’s Cup when the season is over. However, there is one team interested in Kane, who doesn’t have as high expectations as the teams mentioned before, and that is the Detroit Red Wings. The Red Wings would be the perfect team for Kane to join.
Why It Works For the Red Wings
Embed from Getty ImagesIt has been a long six years for Red Wings fans. Once a team that went to the playoffs for 25 straight seasons have been one of the worst since the end of the 2016 season. However, there was some hope brought back into the team when Red Wings legend Steve Yzerman was hired as general manager. Yzerman had just left the Lightning after turning them into one of the best teams in the league. The hope was that he would be able to do the same thing in Detroit.
So far the “Yzerplan”, as many have called it, hasn’t gone exactly how everyone hoped it would. Sure Yzerman has developed one of the most well-rounded systems in the NHL. However, it has yet to translate to the NHL roster. Plus, the moves he has made to the NHL roster have been very questionable.
Kane would help solve some of the concerns Red Wings fans have. First, Kane would turn the Red Wings top six into one of the best in the NHL. A line of Kane-Dylan Larkin–Alex DeBrincat alone can carry a forward core, even with potential regression from Kane. He also can be a great mentor for young players. Kane was one of the main pieces in the Blackhawks dynasty that won three Stanley Cups. He knows what it takes to not only make a deep playoff run but do it consistently over multiple years. That experience is invaluable and can do wonders for player development.
Why Would Kane Want to be a Red Wing
Embed from Getty ImagesNow with everything being laid out, there is still a question about whether Kane would want to go play in Detriot. As we saw at last year’s trade deadline, Kane won’t go somewhere unless he believes it’s the best situation for him. That’s why he only wanted to go to the Rangers. Is Kane going to want to become a Red Wing, the main rival of the team he spent 16 years for?
One of the reasons that could entice Kane to go to Detroit would be the ability to play with DeBrincat again. They were teammates in Chicago for five seasons, from 2016-2022. In Kane’s words, the two develop a little bit of chemistry. To everyone who watched those two play together: you know that a little bit of chemistry is an understatement. The last time these two were on a line together, they recorded 169 points, which was a third of the team’s total points. So, these two play very well together.
As mentioned before, Kane is no longer the player he once was. He has started to show his age, and who knows how this hip surgery will affect his playing ability. He’s going to want to go somewhere he feels comfortable, has some connections with the guys he’s playing with, and won’t have to learn a whole brand-new system. Since he had so much success with DeBrincat, pairing up with him might be something he wants to do. He already built chemistry with him, and they know how to complement each other. It’s not a perfect situation, however, Detroit has the most to offer Kane at this point in his career.
Thanks for reading! Credit for my featured image goes to Bruce Bennett. You can find more NHL content at Belly Up Sports and follow me on Twitter.
