One of the major storylines for the Detroit Red Wings this offseason is the future of Hall of Fame forward Patrick Kane, who is set to become an unrestricted free agent.
Kane, who has signed a series of one-year contracts with the Red Wings over the past two offseasons, showed he can still provide timely offense at age 37, recording 16 goals and 41 assists in 67 games.
He has also spoken glowingly about the organization, emphasizing that his family is happy living in the area.
Additionally, Kane’s longstanding friendship with forward Alex DeBrincat, his former teammate with the Chicago Blackhawks, played a major role in his initial recruitment to Detroit in December 2023.
"I love playing with Alex, we have a great friendship and a great relationship," Kane said. "I'd love to continue playing with him, obviously."
“I’d love to be part of the solution that helps us get over the hump for sure,” he continued. “I think there is mutual interest to come back, continue my career here.”
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During March and April, there was plenty made about the nature of "outside noise" that was potentially having an effect on the Red Wings' dressing room.
When asked how a veteran player like himself goes about his business without allowing outside forces to affect things, Kane pointed out the major differences in social media between now and the early days of his NHL career.
"That's just part of the world now, right?" he said. "Back in 2009, 2010, we didn't have social media to look at. Everything was, you know, the pressure was maybe coming from the media or fans, or internally from your coaches or the organization. But social media is a different animal now, right?"
"Listen, I think some guys look at it, some guys don't, some guys look at it a little bit - I think it's whatever is best for you," Kane continued. "If that stuff gets to you, maybe don't look at it. If it doesn't, you can enjoy looking at that stuff. But like I said, everyone is a little different."
Kane hit several notable career milestones with the Red Wings this season, including scoring his 500th goal, becoming the highest-scoring U.S.-born in NHL history, and also picking up his 1,400th point.
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