How Hard Will it Be for Patrick Kane to Come Back from Hip Re-Surfacing Surgery?

From The Silky Mitten State: Can Patrick Kane recapture some version of his Conn Smythe form following major hip surgery?

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Patrick Kane's Detroit Red Wings debut is now imminent.

It's not expected tonight against the Buffalo Sabres, but both Kane and Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde intimated after yesterday's practice that Thursday's home game against the San Jose Sharks will likely be the date for the three-time Stanley Cup champion's first game as a Red Wing.

Because of his résumé, there is an undeniable excitement and energy around Kane's signing. Between those three Cups, a Conn Smythe, a Hart, and an Art Ross, he is one of the most decorated players in the NHL—perhaps its greatest ever American.

In the short term, as Kane explained Monday, the challenge is about "getting up to game speed" and "learning the game again" as he ramps back up to game action. However, all of those accolades came before major hip surgery over the offseason.

From that surgery, the more existential question begs: What of that award-winning form can Patrick Kane reclaim upon debuting for Detroit? On the most recent episode of The Silky Mitten State (THN Detroit's hockey podcast about the state of Michigan), my co-host Connor Earegood and I tackled just that question.

For a snippet of that conversation, check out the video below: