Tampa, Fla. — One of the most interesting decisions the Red Wings will have to make this offseason will be deciding on what to do with veteran forward Patrick Kane.
At 37, Kane will be 38 in November, Kane isn’t getting any younger, and there are games where Kane’s advanced age is apparent.
But that hasn’t happened much as the Wings attempted to make the playoffs over the last month, eventually being eliminated in Saturday’s loss to New Jersey.
Kane has 23 points in the last 20 games, dating to March 1, and in the month of April, when the games had become most important, Kane’s nine points (three goals, six assists) in six games.
In a season seemingly filled with achieving monumental milestones, Kane was on the doorstep of another jaw-dropping one heading into the Wings’ final two games, Monday in Tampa and Wednesday in Florida.
Kane has 1,399 points, just one point from a cool 1,400. With 56 points (16 goals, 40 assists) in 65 games this season, Kane has arguably surpassed some people’s expectations and got him on the doorstep to 1,400, which wasn’t a sure thing at the beginning of the season.
This latest surge, though, has been particularly impressive.
“Perhaps it did,” coach Todd McLellan said of whether the two-week Olympic break may have benefited Kane. “Also maybe hitting some milestones and just getting them out of the way, Maybe that helped him as well.”
This season, Kane passed Westland’s Mike Modano to become the highest-scoring American-born player in NHL history. Kane also reached the 500-goal mark (currently has 508).
Kane signed a one-year contract extension in the offseason worth $3 million. He’s earned another $3 million in bonuses, for surpassing 50 games played.
If Kane were to look for something similar next season, would the Wings be interested in retaining him? Kane’s production and his incredible chemistry with DeBrincat would lead you think it’s a possibility.
The line of Andrew Copp centering Kane and Alex DeBrincat — DeBrincat leads the Wings with 40 goals — has easily been the Wings’ most consistent and productive line the second half of the season.
“He (Kane) and Cat are leading the team five-on-five (even strength) since the Olympic break,” McLellan said. “Forget about anything like overtime, three-on-three, four-on-four, they’re leading our team five-on-five, plus-minus, it’s not even close. They’ve done a real good job.
“I have to tip my cap to Patrick because he’s playing well defensively too. He’s getting it done and he’s an important piece.”
Kane’s work ethic, said DeBrincat, is a big reason for Kane’s sustained success and will likely keep Kane in the future.
“Obviously his skill is the easy thing, but his work ethic is above most people and his competitiveness,” DeBrincat said. “He’s a guy that when I got to Chicago, they had won. He had won individual awards, basically everything he can win, and he’s still a guy that stays out 30 minutes, 40 minutes after practice working on things.
“He really has that drive to be the best. That’s why he’s been doing it for so long and why he’s the best.”
Late-season games can be beneficial for young players
The Wings are out of the playoffs, but the games young players like Emmitt Finnie, Axel Sandin-Pellikka and Carter Mazur experienced in pressure situations lately will help them.
“They were thrown into an environment that maybe was a little different now than it was at the beginning of the year,” McLellan said. “For Axe and Fins (Finnie), and we started with Brands (Michael Brandsegg-Nygard, who was recalled Sunday), the intensity and competitiveness and tightness (of the game) and the stress around the team, those young guys probably felt that for the first four or five games of the year and then they settled in.
“The clock is ticking on everybody (late in the season). The stress gets a little bit higher, so it can be valuable (experience) for them.”
Coaching staff to examine everything
McLellan and his assistants will examine everything once the season concludes to see where improvement can be made.
“We have to look at a lot of things,” McLellan said. “We’re talking down the road, when we analyze our team. But we have to look at a lot of different things and it starts with us as coaches.
“What are we doing right and aren’t we doing right. Have we put them in the proper structure or system for them to succeed with their skill sets. Not everyone can play the same way. Then you have to look at the player and the tpe of skills they bring to the table.”
@tkulfan
