Curious case of Detroit Red Wings Patrick Kane

It’s no secret, I’ve not been a supporter of Patrick Kane. Just throwing it out there, as this piece isn't coming from a place of always loving Kane.

While his on-ice skill is undeniable, I questioned Kane based on the controversies surrounding him (and one of his former National Hockey League (NHL) teams). I have no inside track, however, I prefer to minimize drama whenever possible.

There are endless sides to every story, and I can speak to Kane’s decisions since joining the Detroit Red Wings last season. 

He’s earned nothing but rave reviews from everyone who has interacted with him. From fans to teammates and media personnel.

Regardless of my feelings toward Patrick Kane, he’s committed to the Detroit Red Wings at a bargain (dare I say discount)

Patrick Kane's end-of-season media availability made it seem like he was all but gone. Referring to the team as they instead of we, along with questionable responses made me think he wouldn’t return. 

I couldn’t blame him. 

On the open market, Kane would have received a better contract. I’m not sure about the capacity (term, dollar amount, better lifestyle city, cheaper taxes, etc.), but I’m sure he had plenty of suitors.

No matter the love a player has for a team, it’s hard to turn down offers of the nature Kane likely received. 

Maybe he was up in the air and wanted to see the other offers before inking his deal. It could have been that general manager Steve Yzerman was caught up in other matters (the NHL Entry Level Draft, development camp, then free agency) that maybe there was a confidence that a deal would always get completed. Maybe it was a matter of when not if.

I can’t help but think there’s an over-arching plan for Yzerman and Kane. Perhaps a gentleman’s agreement. Or, maybe Kane really thinks the Detroit Red Wings are a Stanley Cup contender.

Yzerman likely frees up cap space throughout the season or in the next offseason. Prospects will demand spots in the NHL sooner rather than later at a higher value than certain guys are providing (cheaper and room to improve that other players may not provide). It’s possible that if Kane’s production keeps up over the full season and there is cap space available, maybe there will be a three-to-four-year contract in the works for Kane at a similar dollar value. 

I would say that a trade of Kane is possible. 

Maybe if the Detroit Red Wings take a step back he is content to move on from Motown, however, it seems that Kane wants stability as much as anything. For this reason, I don’t see this idea as much of an angle. Kane genuinely seems to want to be a Detroit Red Wings player.

As odd as it looks typed, the words Kane chooses and the actions he has taken speak to his commitment louder than any rumors at this juncture. 

At any rate, I’m still baffled at his contract. 

For all the well-deserved coverage Moritz Seider and Lucas Raymond are getting, I have to take a step back to appreciate how it was possible. 

We know that Yzerman knew the plan all along, but I can’t help wondering—did Kane get a preview of the upcoming contracts to some capacity? 

Yzerman is a wizard with contracts at times, but I’m not sure that he could talk Kane into the contract he has without more context.

For context, Kane is on a one-year $4 million contract.

Let me put Kane’s contract this way, the Detroit Red Wings forwards who will make more than Kane this season include (brought to you by Puckpedia:

Dylan Larkin (duh)
Lucas “The $64 Million Man” Raymond
Alex DeBrincat (meow)
Andrew Copp (wee-youuu)
J.T. Compher (oh no, not the Aves)
Vladimir Tarasenko (boo, it’s the Blues, jk. Tarasenko was always a Detroit Red Wings player, just a matter of time)

That’s a top-six in the NHL.

Granted, Kane bumps one out of the top six (rightfully so), but it’s wild to think about.

Another example of the craziness of Kane’s contract to me is that Michael Rasmussen is making just $800,000.00 less than Kane. Moose is great, but in what world is he close to Kane’s value?

They bring completely different styles and fill different roles on a team. Rasmussen is important to the team, I just can’t understand the closeness in the contracts.

Color me perplexed that Kane, a once despised enemy, has chosen the dark side that is the Detroit Red Wings (who is public enemy number one for the analytics babes, apparently). 

In doing so, he’s enabled a core to sign deals that carry on well into the future. These deals likely eclipse the rest of his NHL career. It just seems to fit too perfectly together.

In a time when players at his point in his career are attempting to get every penny they can, chase Lord Stanley one last time, or make sure they have a term that lasts longer than their career, Kane stayed in Detroit.

For one year. At $4 million.

Fancy that.