BOSTON, MA – MARCH 4: Patrick Kane #88 of the New York Rangers warms up before a game against the Boston Bruins at the TD Garden on March 4, 2023 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Richard T Gagnon/Getty Images)
The Detroit Red Wings are expected to see Patrick Kane suit up for the team after spending some time getting acclimated. The expectation is that Kane’s first game in a winged-wheel sweater will come against the San Jose Sharks.
This all comes after the Detroit Red Wings were the winners of the Patrick Kane sweepstakes, signing the veteran forward to a deal that keeps him put through the remainder of the 2023-24 season. It’s a one-year, $2.75 million contract that is prorated.
This debut might weigh on Kane a bit more as he tries to prove that he is officially back and 100% healthy after a hip resurfacing surgery that leaves plenty of people skeptical about his odds of returning to form and finishing out a career.
But the 35-year-old winger has 16 years under his belt and has not shown any signs of slowing down from videos and Kane’s personal testimony. Kane seems to think he is even more shifty moving laterally and has improved things, or at least improved for standards for a 16-year NHL veteran.
Detroit Red Wings forward Patrick Kane set for debut.
It still feels weird to see no.88 Kane jerseys in the Detroit Red Wings shop, and hearing that Kane is a Detroit Red Wing might sit weird with some folks, but the time has come. Kane is expected to get on the ice and start his 2023-24 campaign.
No matter how you felt about the signing of Kane, the Red Wings are bringing in a forward with a long history of being a playmaker, a scorer, and a dangerous player for opposing teams to defend against. Even if he regresses from the player he was, Kane still brings benefit to the Red Wings team.
Kane has a chance to come out and prove that he is healthy and still a force to be reckoned with. I’d expect Kane to get involved right away, as that’s the name of the game for him. Being the guy with the puck on his stick creates scoring chances by himself or setting up others around him.
Kane could wind up being an excellent addition to the Red Wings forward core if things go well. The veteran has a chance to breathe some extra life into this team and help them try to cross over the threshold to make it back to the postseason.