The Hockey News’s Sam Stockton doesn’t believe that there’s a “fit” between Patrick Kane and the Detroit Red Wings. Stockton is concerned about the fact that Kane had hip resurfacing surgery, which is still a very serious procedure, and Stockton believes that Kane bombed as a New York Ranger for a reason:
Even if Kane’s updates on his own status are 100% accurate, and he really does feel better than he did a year ago, there is no assurance that such a feeling translates to him returning to the form he once enjoyed.
Based on Kane’s comments to the AP, it seems reasonable to assume his return to action will come later rather than sooner (i.e. December rather than November). From there, he will still require some amount of acclimation period to get reacquainted with NHL game pace.
Meanwhile, the Red Wings have numerous better options to put alongside DeBrincat than an aging and injured (or recovering) Kane. If the goal is to maximize the production of Detroit’s biggest summer acquisition, linemates like Dylan Larkin, Lucas Raymond, Jonatan Berggren, J.T. Compher, or Andrew Copp are more enticing.
Kane might be able to put up points alongside DeBrincat (or even without him), but that alone doesn’t justify his integration into this team. He’s still a good set-up man and above average finisher, but you have to also consider the other side of the puck.
Continued; Stockton explains that Kane simply doesn’t play well defensively, and, as such, he can be a liability in his own end.
Now I’m willing to admit that Patrick Kane is a singular talent in terms of his passing and shooting, but at 34, coming off a surgery that only one player has returned from successfully (Nicklas Backstrom of the Washington Capitals), he’d be a risky signing…
And Kane will have the option to slide into the middle of a contender’s line-up anyway. That’s where I see him ending up unless his desire to reunite with DeBrincat is all-encompassing.
Long story long, I don’t see the “fit,” either, and he’s simply going to have better options.
