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Patrick Kane, Red Wings agree to 1-year deal

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Ready to play again on his surgically repaired hip, Patrick Kane has chosen to resume his NHL career with the Detroit Red Wings, league sources said.

Kane has agreed to a one-year, $2.5 million contract in Detroit, per The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun, after spending the past couple of weeks whittling down his options in free agency, sources said.

The New York Rangers, Florida Panthers, Buffalo Sabres and Toronto Maple Leafs were among the teams who showed interest in the 35-year-old winger.

Kane is returning to the NHL after having hip resurfacing surgery on June 1. He was given a six-month recovery timeline and basically hit that projection on the nose, spending a good chunk of the past few months in the Greater Toronto Area receiving treatment, doing rehab work and skating.

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He's coming off the least productive season of his NHL career with 57 points in 73 games split between the Rangers and Chicago Blackhawks — albeit a season in which he dealt with the nagging hip injury and spent five months playing for a Chicago team in the throes of a teardown.

In Detroit, Kane joins an organization finally showing signs of emerging from a long rebuilding process and one where he'll be reunited with Alex DeBrincat, a linemate he clicked with during their time together in Chicago. DeBrincat leads the Red Wings with 12 goals through 20 games so far this season.

At 11-6-3, Detroit holds down a playoff spot in the competitive Atlantic Division. One of Kane's priorities was landing with a team that gave him a chance to chase another championship.

Kane was a central figure in three Stanley Cup victories with the Blackhawks, taking home the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP in 2013, and is second all-time in scoring to Mike Modano among U.S.-born players with 1,237 points.

His resume also features a Calder Trophy, Art Ross Trophy, Hart Trophy and Ted Lindsay Award. Kane was recognized as one of the NHL's 100 Greatest Players in 2017.

The native of Buffalo, N.Y., will be reconnecting with some old Michigan roots now that he's joining the Red Wings — having spent a season playing for the Honeybaked AAA team in Farmington Hills as a teenager before joining the U.S. National Team Development Program for two seasons in Ann Arbor.

Here's Red Wings beat writer Max Bultman's analysis of the deal:

How does Kane fit the Red Wings?

The Red Wings made a big push for more depth this past offseason, and while that's largely been successful offensively (they're a top-five team in goals per game) they still could use more firepower in the top six, and that's what Kane brings.

The big question is what he will look like after hip resurfacing surgery, but even if his mobility is hampered by it, Kane's playmaking should be an asset and give Detroit more dimensions at the top of their lineup. Certainly, the thought of reuniting Kane and DeBrincat is a tantalizing one. — Bultman

How he impacts Detroit's playoff chances

It helps them. The Red Wings have been hot since returning home from the NHL Global Series, sitting in third place in the Atlantic Division. Holding off more talented foes such as the Tampa Bay Lightning and Maple Leafs won't be easy, but if Kane can look anything like his normal self, he gives them a dynamic element they've sorely missed in years past.

Even last year, he had 57 points in 73 games at age 34. If he can bring an output resembling that, it just might be enough to nudge Detroit onto the right side of the bubble. — Bultman

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(Photo: Bruce Bennett / Getty Images)

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