Patrick Kane’s next move may end up shaping a lot more than just his own future in Detroit.
A week into free agency, the 37-year-old winger still hasn’t said where he plans to sign, even after comments after the season suggested he was leaning toward staying with the Red Wings. Elliotte Friedman said he wasn’t sure he expected Kane back in Detroit, while MLive’s Ansar Khan reported that Steve Yzerman and the Red Wings still have a standing offer on the table. For now, Kane has not signed it.
That uncertainty hangs over a Red Wings team already dealing with the possibility of a Dylan Larkin trade request, and the ripple effects could be significant.
If Kane walks, Detroit loses a major chunk of production and a player who still drove offense even in a down year. He finished with 57 points, including 16 goals and 41 assists, and remained one of the smartest offensive players on the ice. Even while playing fewer than 14 minutes a night and appearing in under 70 games, he still ranked among the team leaders in goals and points.
He also gave the Red Wings something they have been short on for years: 5-on-5 scoring. Kane finished second on the team in 5v5 pp/60min, a notable number considering his limited ice time. Take away his offense, and then factor in Larkin’s situation, and Detroit is suddenly staring at a hole of more than 40 goals it either had last season or would have expected to count on next year.
That’s not exactly ideal in a deep Atlantic Division, especially with the Buffalo Sabres making a deep playoff run and picking No. 4 overall this year, and the Florida Panthers bringing back the Bash Brothers.
There’s also the message factor. Kane leaving could be read by other players as a sign that Detroit isn’t the place to be.
And that’s where Alex DeBrincat enters the picture.
If Kane is gone and Larkin has already asked out, the questions around DeBrincat only get louder. The Michigan native has built strong chemistry with Kane, and the two have combined for the most points by an active pair in the NHL across their Blackhawks and Red Wings days. With DeBrincat entering the final year of his contract, the front office has to decide whether it can afford to keep him at a price that matches his value.
Last season, DeBrincat became the first player since Marion Hossa to score 80-plus points and 40-plus goals in a Red Wings sweater. He also remains the kind of player who could draw serious trade interest, with teams already said to be poking around. As a perennial 70-plus-point forward who reached 40 goals for the second time in his career, he would bring a major return on the market, especially with another year before his cap hit likely climbs into the double-digit millions.
If Kane leaves and DeBrincat becomes available, Detroit may be looking at a future built on futures.
In Other News...
Red Wings Still Have One Franchise Defining Larkin Decision Looming
The Red Wings have spent the offseason reshaping the roster with three new NHL additions, but the biggest roster question still hanging over 2026-27 is far less about the newcomers than about the captain. Detroit is looking at multiple lineup paths as it tries to map out what the next version of the team could look like, and Dylan Larkin sits at the center of every one of them.
If Larkin stays, the club can keep building around a familiar core and sort through how the rest of the forward group fits around him. If the situation turns in a different direction, the conversation shifts from lineup construction to asset management, with management signaling it would want NHL players back rather than a package built mostly on futures. Either way, this is the kind of decision that can define not just a season, but the shape of the franchise itself. [Read more 🡒]
Red Wings Pressure Is Building As Edvinsson Wait Drags On
As other young defensemen around the league lock in long-term extensions, Simon Edvinssons contract talks have become one of the quieter but more important storylines hanging over Detroit. The Red Wings have not made a significant roster move since the start of free agency, which has only sharpened the focus on what comes next for a team still trying to sort out its blue line and overall direction.
Patrick Kane remains unsigned, Claude Giroux is reportedly staying in Ottawa, and the Flyers record offer sheet for Leo Carlsson has added another layer of noise to an already restless market. For Detroit, the Edvinsson situation is now part of a larger offseason picture that still feels unfinished, with the club waiting on several fronts before the roster starts to look settled. [Read more 🡒]