Admin Note: Hey all! We have a new writer to introduce today. Scout is a Red Wings fan from the Chicago area. Make sure you give him a warm welcome!
Besides the big fish RFA’s in Lucas Raymond and Moritz Seider, one of the offseason’s biggest objectives was the re-signing of Patrick Kane, which Steve Yzerman accomplished with a one-year deal agreed to on June 30 to stay with Detroit. Kane’s new deal carries a $4 million salary cap hit, and $2.5 million accrued through performance-based incentives.
The 35-year-old right winger registered 20 goals and 27 assists for 47 points last season in 50 games played, which had him finish just below a point-per-game pace. While his defensive statistics could certainly improve, his ability to motivate and inject potency within the Wings’ offense was nothing short of spectacular.
Kane’s impact without the puck also did wonders for the Wings as he partially contributed to the eventual emergence of Lucas Raymond, the overall improvement of the team’s powerplay, and the maturity of the team through his veteran presence.
With Kane well past his recovery from offseason hip resurfacing surgery in 2023, he has the possibility of having an even better offensive output this year. If Kane had played a full 82-game slate last season at the offensive pace he finished with, he would have accrued roughly 33 goals and 44 assists for a total of 77 points.
With Kane expected to be slotted on the second line alongside J.T. Compher and Michael Rasmussen, there will certainly need to be consistent chemistry in the line combination for Kane to match or even surpass the offensive numbers from 2023. There is the possibility that Vladimir Terasenko could also be paired with Kane this season. Even if Kane falls short of those figures, the presence of the surefire future Hockey Hall of Famer could be enough to further develop the rising core of the Red Wings this season.
