In a blow, albeit not an unexpected one, the Detroit Red Wings have been rejected by one of their few reliable scorers, taking a hit to their 2026-27 roster.
Patrick Kane rebuffed the Wings’ attempts to re-sign him for a third consecutive summer and instead entered free agency, where the 37-year-old found an appealing offer from the Chicago Blackhawks. Kane is going back to where his career began on a two-year deal worth an average annual value of $8 million.
Kane sounded like there was a chance he would stay when the season ended, but that was before news emerged that Dylan Larkin – who shares an agent, Pat Brisson, with Kane, had requested a trade.
A chaotic Red Wings summer continued July 15 with the news general manager Steve Yzerman would be moving to an advisor role.
Kane had 16 goals and 41 assists in 67 games in 2025-26. Even in the twilight of his career, Kane proved he’s still got it. Post-Olympics, as many skaters on the Wings faltered, Kane was their second-leading scorer with 25 points in 24 games (trailing only Alex DeBrincat’s 28 points).
The future Hockey Hall of Fame inductee had been with the Wings since November 2023, at which point he was six months removed from invasive hip surgery. That pro-rated deal turned into a one-year renewal in the summer of 2024, followed by similar deals each of the following two summers.
Kane had 57 goals and 103 points in 189 games with the Wings. His .86 points-per-game average ranked forth on the team since his first game on Dec. 7, 2023.
The Wings were Kane’s third Original Six franchise. He cemented his status as one of the all-time greats during his decade-and-a-half with the Blackhawks, during which time he won the Calder Trophy as the NHL’s top rookie in 2008 and won the Stanley Cup in 2010, 2013 and 2015. As the Blackhawks declined, Kane OK’d a trade to the New York Rangers in February 2023, but, hampered by a hip injury, his effectiveness was limited and he became a free agent.
When he was ready to resume his career, the Wings appealed for their history and for being the home of Kane’s former Blackhawks teammate, DeBrincat. Kane appealed to the Wings because of his elite skill set.
He garnered significant milestones with the Wings, most notably this past January, when he became the NHL’s all-time leader in points by a U.S.-born player, setting the record when he reached 1,375 career points. Earlier the same month, Kane became the fifth player born in the United States to reach 500 goals in the NHL, and the 50th, from any country, in league history.
Contact Helene St. James at hstjames@freepress.com. Read more on the Detroit Red Wings and sign up for our Red Wings newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Patrick Kane signs with Blackhawks, leaving Red Wings looking for help
Reporting by Helene St. James, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
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By Helene St. James, Detroit Free Press | USA TODAY Network
