Detroit Red Wings signing Patrick Kane was a real gift.
The Detroit Red Wings made a lot of moves this off-season. They're a deeper team than in years past and have survived the season's bumps and bruises. This is something that could not be said about the teams of recent years who almost always fell apart without that added firepower.
This year, Steve Yzerman made a move mid-season to sign a new face. They spent all of $2.75 million (prorated, so about $2.5 million) on one of the perennial scorers in the National Hockey League. The team won the Patrick Kane sweepstakes, seeing him come to Hockeytown and join the Red Wings.
There are many reasons to see why Kane chose Detroit, many of which we have written about. Whether it was a chance to play, a chance to prove himself, or his reunion with Alex DeBrincat. But he's here now, and while it may still look weird to see KANE #88 on a Red Wings jersey floating around on the ice, it sure has been fun.
He's played in nine games for the Red Wings, with four goals and five assists for nine total points. He's stepped up with the forward core and been able to do his job as needed. On the powerplay, he looks exceptional. Detroit has to be happy with how Kane has looked so far, seemingly coming all the way back from his hip resurfacing surgery.