The wait and speculation appears to be over. Several NHL insiders are reporting that Patrick Kane will sign with the Red Wings.
According to Johnston, this is a one-year deal with Detroit.
Kane, who just turned 35 earlier this month, is coming off a relatively serious hip procedure. He hasn’t played in an NHL game since the New York Rangers were eliminated in the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Kane posted six points (1-5–6) for the Rangers in postseason. Before that, he had 12 points in 19 games (5-7–12) with NYR in the regular season — that was after he was traded from Chicago, where he had posted 45 points in 54 games (16-29–45).
This ends weeks of speculation and rumors that Kane was down to just a few teams, including Detroit. The all-time great joins an old friend in Alex DeBrincat. The two wingers played in Chicago together on the same line, and at the time had created tremendous chemistry with one another.
This will be a huge addition for the Wings as they push towards Stanley Cup contention. It will be interesting to see what number he’s given, seeing that Daniel Sprong already wears his usual number. What also remains to be seen is where Kane will slot into the lineup. One can assume that he’ll be paired with DeBrincat. It should be noted that Kane is technically still recovering from hip resurfacing, so it’s not entirely clear when he will be inserted into the lineup.
UPDATE
The team made the official announcement of Kane’s signing Tuesday night:
