Patrick Kane to make Red Wings debut Thursday vs. Sharks

Newly signed forward Patrick Kane will make his Red Wings debut Thursday against the San Jose Sharks in Detroit, coach Derek Lalonde said Wednesday.

Kane agreed to a one-year, $2.5 million contract with Detroit last week after whittling down his options in free agency. The 35-year-old is returning to the NHL after having hip resurfacing surgery on June 1. He was given a six-month recovery timeline and spent a good chunk of the past few months in the Greater Toronto Area receiving treatment, doing rehab work and skating.

The New York Rangers, Florida Panthers, Buffalo Sabres and Toronto Maple Leafs were among the teams who showed interest in the winger.

Kane is coming off the least productive season of his NHL career with 57 points in 73 games split between the Rangers and Chicago Blackhawks, where he spent most of his standout career after Chicago drafted him with the No. 1 pick in the 2007 NHL Draft.

The Red Wings are 14-7-3 and sit second behind the Boston Bruins in the Atlantic Division. The Sharks (7-17-2) are last in the Pacific Division.

IT'S SHOWTIME! 🎬
Coach Lalonde confirms Patrick Kane will make his #RedWings debut tomorrow. 👀
Be here 🎟️ »
— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) December 6, 2023

What this means for Kane’s legacy

If he never played another game, Kane’s legacy as arguably the greatest American-born player in history would be secure. But Kane is a hockey history and statistics nerd, a legacy guy, and he’d surely love to remove that “arguably” from that sentence. And becoming the first player to truly return to form after hip-resurfacing surgery would go a long way toward that goal.

Before his hip deteriorated, Kane seemed like the kind of player who could play into his 40s; his game was predicated on skill and creativity, not speed or physicality, and he was almost impossible to hit. That seems a lot less likely now, but it was just two years ago that Kane was a 92-point player. He believes that, finally healthy, he can be that kind of player again. If so — and it’s a big if — then 500 goals is the next milestone. That, combined with three Stanley Cups, a Hart Trophy, a Conn Smythe Trophy and a Calder Trophy, would make for a pretty airtight case. — Mark Lazerus, senior Blackhawks writer