Replacin’ Kane

I’m genuinely not certain how the Red Wings should address Patrick Kane’s seemingly imminent departure from Detroit (the rumors persist that he’s going to sign with Toronto, Buffalo or Chicago, but there’s nothing that’s been substantiated as of yet).

My theory is that Kane, who has the same agent as Dylan Larkin in Pat Brisson, may very well wait to see where Larkin ends up (and what return Detroit receives) before signing somewhere, but that’s just my gut feeling talking.

The available free agent forwards who can fill Kane’s skates here in Detroit are up-and-down performers–if you head over to PuckPedia, Eeli Tolvanen, former Wing Anthony Mantha (who might be amenable to a reunion) and former Wing Vladimir Tarasenko (who will definitely not return) headline a very weak class of inconsistent scoring forwards…

But Detroit Hockey Now’s Max Smith ponders how the Red Wings should move forward, should Kane sign elsewhere, which, again, appears likely, but is, for the present moment, a matter of rumor and “gut feelings” as opposed to substantiated facts:

Noise continues to grow around Kane’s hometown of Buffalo as a potential landing spot. Without Kane, Detroit’s second line breaks up, and much of their 5v5 scoring from last season disappears. To that end, there are still some options out on the market.

Eeli Tolvanen continues to be linked as a potential free agent target for the Red Wings. The former Kraken forward provides some flexibility to play on either wing spot and played at about a half point per game pace last year. Other [trade] options include Patrick Laine, though there have been no official links to the former Canadiens forward.

The Red Wings would have to bet on a bounce back season from the former no. 2 overall pick after he played in only five games last year. However, beggars can’t be choosers in a very shallow free agent market.

Detroit may have to end up looking for a secondary scorer with some snarl, like Michael Bunting, Evander Kane or center Reilly Smith, if they can’t land a Tolvanen or Mantha or Laine.

In any case, the Wings aren’t going to find someone with Kane’s work ethic or relative consistency, so it’s in the secondary scoring department where the Wings may very well take the biggest step back (unless prospects like Michael Brandsegg-Nygard, Emmitt Finnie [who scored 13 goals during his rookie season] or Nate Danielson pick up the slack) this upcoming season.

Also of note from Smith this morning is a reminder that the World Junior Summer Showcase starts in Windsor, Ontario from July 26th to August 1st.

On the home front, or close to it, the World Junior Summer Showcase is now under two weeks away from starting in Windsor [at WFCU Arena]. Three Red Wings prospects were selected to represent Team USA from their most recent draft classes. That trio of representatives includes both first round pick JP Hurlbert and second round pick Victor Plante of the Red Wings 2026 draft class.

Defenseman Brent Solomon, the Red Wings fourth round pick in the 2025 draft will also join the two forwards across the bridge from Hockeytown representing the US. The US junior team will face some stacked Canadian and Swedish teams featuring names like Gavin McKenna, Ivar Stenberg, and Viggo Bjorck from the top ten of this year’s draft.

I’ve always enjoyed attending the WJSS when it was hosted in Plymouth; Windsor is a bit of a hike for somebody who doesn’t have a car right now, so I’ll doubt that I’ll attend, but I highly recommend it as you’re going to see a bunch of top drafted prospects and players who may be selected early in the 2027 draft for not so much $$.