Patrick Kane will be back with the Detroit Red Wings next season. His new contract allows him to earn up to $6.5 million if he helps the team make the playoffs, ending their long drought. The deal, signed Sunday, is for $4 million in salary plus $2.5 million in bonuses, according to a person familiar with the matter who spoke anonymously.
Kane, a 35-year-old winger from Buffalo, has won the Stanley Cup three times with Chicago. He continued playing after hip surgery that only two other NHL players have recovered from. In his first season with the Red Wings, he scored 20 goals and had 27 assists.
Among U.S.-born players, only Mike Modano has more NHL points than Kane’s 1,284. Kane will soon start his 17th professional season.
Kane was expected to have many teams interested if he became a free agent, but he chose to stay with Detroit. The team hasn’t made the playoffs since 2016, which is their longest postseason drought in franchise history dating back to 1926.
Detroit plans to stay active in the free agent and trade markets, especially looking to add a goaltender after missing the playoffs by a tiebreaker with Washington.
Earlier on Sunday, the Red Wings made qualifying offers to Lucas Raymond, Moritz Seider, Jonatan Berggren, and Joe Veleno to keep their rights.
