3 reasons an aging Patrick Kane remains valuable to the Detroit Red Wings

As soon as the 2024-25 season concluded, the rumors suggested that there was once again mutual interest in a contract extension between the Red Wings organization and future Hall of Fame forward Patrick Kane.

Kane is back to don the winged wheel for his third consecutive season. Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman has rewarded him with a one-year incentive-based deal. The base salary comes in at $3 million, plus another $4 million that can be achieved in performance bonuses including games played tiers and a postseason berth.

Last season, despite a very slow start that included just five goals over the first 29 games of the regular season, Kane finished with 21 goals and 59 points over 72 games played. Kane, who turns 37 this November, isn't the offensive juggernaut he once was, but he still packs a punch in a few valuable facets of the game.

Patrick Kane is a significant asset to the Red Wings, who struggle with generating consistent offense.

It's not Patrick Kane's fault that he will once again be depended on to be a top-six forward this late into his career. That issue falls on GM Steve Yzerman. It's not a secret that the former face of the franchise, while on the ice, and my childhood hero, can't seem to right the ship as the general manager.

Yzerman is now firmly in his seventh year of his current tenure, and while he has done a fantastic job drafting in the higher rounds, he has struggled to add impact players through free agency. That proved true once again this summer when Detroit failed to add anyone of substance despite having plenty of funds at their disposal.

It wasn't Mitch Marner or Nikolaj Ehlers who Detroit landed, but instead a worn-out James van Riemsdyk and the often-injured John Gibson (via trade), along with a host of depth players such as Mason Appleton, Ian Mitchell, and Jacob Bernard-Docker.

Does that move the needle for anyone? I am a fan of Gibson and see him as a clear upgrade over Petr Mrazek, but with the roster Detroit is expected to deploy in front of him, I don't think it matters who is in goal, unless Dominik Hasek, in his prime years, miraculously returns.

As for Kane, there are specific areas in which he will remain valuable to the Red Wings. For one, the shootout. I, for one, dislike the idea that a skills competition can determine a team's fate in a regular-season game of a team sport.

I prefer the NHL to at least make the 3-3 competition a ten-minute frame before the shootout, making it far less frequent than it already is. That said, Kane is the All-Time leader in shootout goals with 53. His career percentage sits at 40.2%, far lower than that of Trevor Zegras (61.1%) or Kane's former teammate Artemi Panarin (60%).

In comparison, Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin's career shootout percentage success rate is a mere 29.4%. Other stars around the league like Sidney Crosby comes in a 38.3% and Alex Ovechkin sits at 29.6%. So, with that ever-so-valuable second point on the night up for grabs, it's Kane who has a history to deliver.

When it comes to creating space during even-strength situations, Kane isn't the player he once was, but he still floats around on the ice fairly effortlessly. His vision remains, and his creativity remains at an elite level.

He will remain more valuable to the Red Wings working the right flank on the power play opposite his good pal, Alex DeBrincat. Kane remains a top option with the man advantage, having netted 12 goals and 17 assists on the power play a year ago.

The third area Kane will continue to support the Red Wings in is the leadership department. The core of the roster will be comprised of a large number of young players, and those wide-eyed kids will enjoy learning firsthand from one of the greatest American-born scorers in the league's history.

Detroit is expected to rely on Lucas Raymond, Marco Kasper, and Jonathan Berggren in addition to their surplus of veteran bottom-six options. That trio, in particular, plus the possibility of seeing Nate Danielson and Carter Mazur at some point this season, will have the opportunity to view Kane daily on and off the ice as they continue to improve their craft, and that is very beneficial to any young player.