The Athletic’s Mark Lazerus posted an article this morning which discusses Patrick Kane’s 1-year, $6.5 million contract with the Red Wings in terms of its fit and finish:
Kane gets to continue playing on a power-play unit (and often a line) with Alex DeBrincat, one of his favorite linemates, on a team with legitimate playoff aspirations. And he gets to do it close to his native Buffalo, which always has been important to Kane, whose father, Pat Sr., still attends most of his games and even many of his practices. And Kane gets the no-movement clause that ensures he has control of his future at the trade deadline if things go awry in Detroit.
I really like that he gets the NMC.
The Red Wings, meanwhile, get to keep one of their top play drivers with very little risk. The crafty structuring of the contract gives Detroit some cap flexibility, as the base salary is only $4 million, with $2.5 million in performance bonuses. Per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, Kane gets $1.5 million just for appearing in 10 games, $250,000 for 60 games, $500,000 if the Wings make the playoff and $250,000 for posting 60 points and making the playoffs. If the Wings are a cap team this season, the bonuses wouldn’t count against them until the 2025-26 season, when the cap is expected to take another big jump. So Detroit can essentially have Kane for just $4 million this season, well below market value for the future Hall of Famer.
Is there some risk in signing a 35-year-old with a surgically repaired hip? Sure. But the contract itself is low risk, and Kane — whose game was never predicated on speed to begin with — showed he had plenty of life left in his legs and his game last season.
Contract grade: A
Fit grade: A-
Continued (paywall)
