The Detroit Red Wings are coming off of yet another disappointing campaign in which the club missed the playoffs for the 10th consecutive season. This is now the longest postseason drought in the NHL after the Buffalo Sabres finally broke their 14 year playoff hiatus this year.
This anticlimactic conclusion to a year that brought so much promise has raised questions over the future of the team led by General Manager Steve Yzerman. One of those players in question is Patrick Kane, who will be a free agent this summer.
The good news for Red Wings fans is Kane’s future with the club looks solid, as he has expressed interest in a potential return with the team next year in Detroit’s end of season media session.
Patrick Kane Is Still A Productive Player
Despite now being 37 years of age, Kane can still get the job done on the ice. He amassed 16 goals and 41 assists for 57 points in 67 games over this past season. This was good for fifth on the squad even after missing 15 games due to injury.
Kane enjoyed a year of reaching legacy milestones as he recorded his 500th career goal and became the all time leading scorer amongst US-born NHL players.
He has been a valuable player for Detroit throughout his three year tenure with the club with 57 goals and 106 assists for 163 points in his 189 game stint with the team. And he has done all this with a resurfaced hip that he received ahead of his first season with the organization.
However, “Showtime” only has so much hockey left in him as he will be entering his 20th season in the NHL next year, assuming he indeed decides to come back. A return to the playoffs is a must for him and Detroit in 26-27.
Detroit Needs To Get Back In Playoffs
The Red Wings have narrowly missed out on playoff contention across Kane’s three years with the team. If Kaner wants to once again see playoff hockey in his career before it comes to an end, doing so in Detroit could be a tall task.
“Hockeytown’s” patience with the “Yzerplan” is at an all time low as fans become restless over a period that has failed to deliver on its promises. Yzerman has assembled a decent core with the likes of Kane, Alex DeBrincat, Dylan Larkin, Lukas Raymond and Moritz Seider. But depth scoring continues to be an issue in Detroit.
This will be a crucial offseason for Yzerman if he wishes to keep his job as GM. Getting Kane extended would be a good start, he has proven to be a key part of the attack with the chemistry he has developed with DeBrincat on the powerplay. Kane is also a great leader for the youth in the locker room as a guy who has been there and done that, having won three Stanley Cups during his time with the Chicago Blackhawks.
It will be a big summer in Detroit as Yzerman aims to right the ship and salvage an operation that appears to be flailing.
Detroit Receives Positive Update on Patrick Kane’s Future With Team