Patrick Kane signs with the Detroit Red Wings

Nine-time NHL All Star Patrick Kane signed with the Detroit Red Wings as a free agent.

Kane, a Chicago Blackhawks legend, spent the beginning of last season with the Blackhawks before being traded to the New York Rangers for the end of the regular season and postseason.

He scored 57 points in 73 games between the two teams. Now, he joins up with the duo of Dylan Larkin and Alex DeBrincat that started the season on fire.

After beginning the season 5-1-0, Detroit cooled off with consecutive losses to the Seattle Kraken, Winnipeg Jets, and Boston Bruins at the end of October.

The Red Wings are currently tied for third in the Atlantic Division on 25 points, level with the Tampa Bay Lightning and behind the Bruins and Florida Panthers. Recent wins over the New Jersey Devils, Bruins, and Minnesota Wild will have the team feeling optimistic as Kane gets up to speed.

Detroit's 25 points is more than all Metropolitan Division teams except the first-placed New York Rangers, which is a good sign for the Red Wings' playoff hopes if things stay that way.

Kane has won three Stanley Cups in his career: in 2009/10, in 2012/13, and in 2014/15, taking home the Conn Smythe Trophy in 2012/13 as the top performer in the playoffs. He won the Hart Trophy for the league's most valuable player in 2015/16 when he posted 106 points, and he had another 100-point season in 2018/19.

The Red Wings cannot and will not count on the now 35-year-old Kane to reach that level, especially while he bounces back from offseason hip surgery. But the left-handed right winger notched 21 goals last year and 26 in 2021/22, and he should fit into Detroit's third or fourth attacking line and perhaps a power play unit.

Kane does not have anything left to prove in the league. Joining a team where he will not be relied on for huge production while having a shot at a playoff run is ideal at this stage of his career.