Patrick Kane joins the Detroit Red Wings, but head coach Derek Lalonde says things have been “difficult” thus far.
Patrick Kane, a three-time Stanley Cup winner and future Hall of Fame forward, has made the decision to sign with the Detroit Red Wings, his former fierce opponents from his Chicago Blackhawks days. Although Kane hasn’t made his club debut yet, there’s a tangible sense of excitement in him to play for Detroit. Furthermore, given Detroit’s hectic game schedule and lack of time for thorough workouts, it hasn’t been simple to determine where Kane will fit into the starting lineup, according to the most recent indication from head coach Derek Lalonde.
Kane chose Detroit over several potential suitors
After hip surgery in the winter, Kane had to recuperate, which kept him out of the game for the first six weeks of this season. As he thought about other teams he might want to play for, the Red Wings were always in the forefront of his thoughts, and he expressed a strong preference for Detroit.
Derek Lalonde explains why it’s been ‘difficult’
Getting Kane into a complete 5×5 practice session has proven to be challenging, especially given the Red Wings will be playing their third game in four nights since signing him.
“We just haven’t had practice because we’re in the middle of a 3 in 4 (3 games in 4 days) with two travels back and forth,” Lalonde said. “It’s been really difficult.” On Monday, we’ll have our first 5 on 5 practice since he joined us. We’ll monitor its progress and take another look at it after that.
In summary: The release of Kane is eagerly awaited.
The Red Wings’ decision to sign Patrick Kane is an indication that general manager Steve Yzerman believes the team has what it takes to contend for the Stanley Cup Playoffs, something they haven’t done since 2016. Expect to see Kane play in a Detroit game for the first time maybe next week.
Detroit’s game against the Montreal Canadiens is televised on Bally Sports Detroit at 7:00 PM, and 97.1 The Ticket will give radio coverage.
