Some interesting news reports emerged Tuesday morning with the news that former Chicago Blackhawks forward Patrick Kane is reportedly signing a one-year deal with the Detroit Red Wings.
Kane, who turned 35 on Nov. 19, is yet to play a game in this NHL season following recovery from hip resurfacing surgery back on June 1.
Sportsnet reporter Elliotte Friedman has both the report of the signing and the reported terms of the deal:
As mentioned in this AP story from August, Kane is one of three players to have the operation recently, along with Carl Hagelin and Washington Capitals forward Nicklas Backstrom, and Kane had the operation to alleviate the nagging hip issues that plagued him during the 2022-23 season. It should be noted here that Backstrom played the second half of last season following the operation but stepped away from the team on Nov. 1 and remains on LTIR.
The other part of the story worth exploring is the team that Kane chose to sign with, which will likely draw the ire of Blackhawks fans of a certain age, who’ll draw a straight line between Kane and Chris Chelios. But this situations feels substantially different, primarily because the once fierce rivalry between the Blackhawks and Red Wings has been largely dead since Brent Seabrook banished Detroit to the Eastern Conference with that famous overtime goal in 2013.
In fact, let’s watch it again, shall we?
Good times.
Anyway, this move also reunites Kane with Alex DeBrincat, which is great for them. In some other lifetime, perhaps the Blackhawks don’t colossally mishandle the roster in the back half of the 2010s and the Kane/DeBrincat duo would’ve had a few more cracks at a Stanley Cup run in Chicago — and Jonathan Toews, too — instead of those seasons spent toiling near the bottom of the NHL standings. But professional sports rarely work out that way, especially in the era of free agency, so get ready to see Kane in a winged wheel. This should put to bed all of those weird calls for Kane return to Chicago, a move that helps neither the player nor the team — it’s a new era at 1901 W. Madison these days.
The Blackhawks play the Red Wings in Detroit on Thursday, although there’s no word yet on if Kane will be ready for that game.
Detroit comes to Chicago on Sunday, Feb. 25.