The Show goes on in Detroit. The Red Wings are re-signing Patrick Kane to a one-year contract after he shined in his first season in HockeyTown.
The club announced the news Sunday night, with Pierre LeBrun reporting that it's a $4 million deal with $2.5 million in potential bonuses.
It's a big move for the Red Wings, who would have had a sizable hole to fill up front with Kane's departure. He was one of their most productive players after joining the team last November following an offseason hip procedure, scoring 20 goals and 47 points in 50 games.
"He’s been great," coach Derek Lalonde said toward the end of the season. "The offense he’s produced, the leadership he’s brought, the presence he’s brought to the team, he’s been everything as advertised."
It was the best Kane has played -- and the best he's felt -- in several years after being hobbled by the hip at the end of his tenure with the Blackhawks and during a brief stint with the Rangers. New York was one of the teams eyeing him in free agency.
Kane sounded prepared to move on from the Wings at the end of last season, notably talking about the team in the past. But Steve Yzerman made a strong push to bring him back as Detroit tries to end a franchise-worst eight-year playoff drought, and ultimately got him signed a day before he was slated to hit the open market.
The one-year deal is rather surprising after Kane, who turns 36 in November, said that'd he likely be "looking for a little more stability as far as term" on his next contract. "But I think the right situation matters, too," he added.
At the time, Kane said this of the Red Wings, who missed the playoffs by one point on the final night of last season: "I think they’re in a great spot." He went on to cite the leadership of captain Dylan Larkin and contributions from core players like Moritz Seider, Lucas Raymond, Simon Edvinsson and Alex DeBrincat, the latter of whom is one of Kane's closest friends in the NHL.
"These guys coming up, they’re so young and they still have so much to give to the game but they’re impact players right now in the most important games," Kane said. "And I know they have a lot of good young prospects as well, so I think the future is really bright for the team."
Kane's return, meanwhile, brightens the Red Wings' present. He should have an even greater impact on the team over the course of a full season and after an offseason where he said he'll be able to "train like an athlete again" for the first time in a few years. His aim is to regain the explosiveness he had before the hip injury.
"It was a great year," Kane said of his first season in Detroit. "I have nothing but positive things to say about the organization. ... It was to fun be a Wing and I'll definitely have some memories to last me a lifetime."
And now, he has more to make.
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