The vast majority of the Red Wings’ media corps posted articles regarding Vladimir Tarasenko and Patrick Kane’s press conferences on Monday afternoon, well…on Monday afternoon.
The Free Press’s Helene St. James joins the fray this morning with an article which notes that Patrick Kane played a part in recruiting Tarasenko to come to Detroit:
“I talked to a lot of guys who used to play there, who are playing there right now,” Tarasenko said Monday. “Lot of family guys. They are all happy there. I like the way the team played last year and we decided with the family, this is the best decision for us moving forward. We are really excited about it. It’s a new chapter for us and we can’t wait to get to Detroit and get settled and start training camp. Lately I talk to Kaner. I talk to him. There’s a lot of guys that used to play in St. Louis, so familiar faces. They all say only good things about Detroit, the city and the team and that’s why we decide to come.”
Kane – who didn’t appear upset at all about having to wait a few minutes for his Zoom call – explained that his life partner, Amanda, was the one who fielded the first call from the Tarasenko camp – and then he got a call from general manager Steve Yzerman, who needed to add an offensive player after losing several goal scorers in free agency.
Tarasenko is a former 40-goal scorer and two-time Stanley Cup champion.
“His wife reached out to Amanda and said that Detroit seemed interested,” Kane said. “You get excited about that. Steve called me as well, just asking about him as a player. I think he is going to be so good for the group. He’s a proven winner. The way he plays, how hard he plays – I think a lot of players in general, not just young guys, will see how hard he works and how much effort he gives every shift, and that’s why he has a couple Stanley Cups to his name, too. So adding that winning presence is going to be huge for the group.”
St. James continues (paywall), and MLive’s Ansar Khan specifically addresses Kane’s decision to re-sign with Detroit:
He inked a one-year extension the day before free agency officially started. It has a $4 million average annual value with an additional $2.5 million in bonuses (mostly games played) that can and likely will be applied to the 2025-26 cap, providing the club some additional space for other contracts.
“After the year you kind of set your mind on maybe getting a longer-term deal, and then you start thinking about it and I’m 35, so I think it works both ways,” Kane said. “I can sign a one-year deal, take advantage of the bonuses not only for myself, but it kind of helps the team to have the lower AAV.”
Kane, a longtime rival with the hated Chicago Blackhawks, was quickly embraced by Detroit fans. He stepped up in big moments, scoring three overtime goals and three shootout goals.
“The last two or three days there, my heart was set on being back in Detroit,” Kane said. “I love the team. We were really comfortable living there. I love the fans. So just looking back at some of the moments and things that you kind of go through throughout the year, even like some of the calls (TV voice) Ken Daniels had. I can watch those clips for the rest of my life just because of the call that he had on some of those goals I scored. Those are moments that give you chills and when you have that feeling, you want to continue that and create more of those moments.”
Khan also continues; I know that the Red Wings aren’t exactly a destination for free agents as of yet, but it’s good to know that in the cases of players like Tarasenko, Kane and Christian Fischer, who also spoke with the media yesterday, Detroit’s the “right fit.”
