Can the Red Wings Get Better without Patrick Kane?
From The Silky Mitten State: It sounds like Patrick Kane is leaning toward leaving Detroit. Are the Red Wings better off without him?
Among the central questions for the Red Wings to answer this summer is 'What's next for Patrick Kane?'
Kane exceeded every reasonable expectation for his debut season in Detroit with 47 points in 50 games, but at his end-of-season presser, his comments (and in particular his use of the past tense) implied that his Red Wings career may be a one and done.
"It was a great year," said Kane. "I have nothing but positive things to say about the organization. Obviously the opportunity from Steve [Yzerman] and [Derek] 'Newsy' [Lalonde] to give me the chance to come and play, and the situations I was put in, I feel like I got a lot of opportunity to play in the top six, power play, play with some great players. It was fun to be around the group. It was fun to be a Wing and in this organization. I'll definitely have some memories to last me a life time"
Meanwhile, in his end-of-season remarks, Steve Yzerman suggested that the Red Wings stints without Dylan Larkin healthy suggested a need for "another impact forward" in Detroit's top six.
"I think we do have some center depth, but [what's missing is] offensive depth more so, whether it's at center or on the wings," Yzerman said. "The other thing it does, it emphasizes if you're not scoring, you better be good defensively." "We missed the offensive production when he was out of the lineup that we need, whether it's another centerman or another impact forward at a different position to offset the loss of the offensive production," he added.
In other words, Yzerman felt the Red Wings lacked a finishing punch and defensive solidity in the top six absent Larkin. With that in mind, it might not be the worst thing in the world for Detroit to find a replacement for Kane, one who might not quite touch his offensive skill but who could be more of a consistent offensive driver and defensively reliable.
On the most recent episode of The Silky Mitten State, my co-host Connor Earegood and I discussed this possibility. You can see a sample of our conversation in the video above. For the full episode, check out Apple Podcasts or Spotify:
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