Patrick Kane Is Not A Warm Weather Guy, Reportedly Signing With Red Wings

Patrick Kane spent just enough time with the New York Rangers last season for some coffee, a bagel and to have one of those dudes in Times Square to try giving him his mixtape. Now, after a summer of rehab from hip surgery, it looks like he's off to Detroit.

While we're still waiting on an announcement to make the move officially official, it sounds like Kane is going to be joining the third team of his career — which is coincidentally his third original 6 team — the Detroit Red Wings.

The rumblings turned into definitive reports from the likes of Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman, who even stuck a number in there as well: 1-year/ 2.75 million.

That's not a deal by any means, but that's probably a fair price to outbid any other suitors.

At this point in his career, it's no surprise Patrick Kane wants to be with a contender. Preferably one with ample cap space... (Photo by Rich Graessle/NHLI via Getty Images)

The Panthers Were The Heavy Favorite But Appear To Have Missed Out Thanks To That Pesky Salary Cap

One of the running stories in the early going of this NHL season has been where Kane might land. Two of the leaders in the clubhouse all along were the Buffalo Sabres (his hometown team) and Florida Panthers. Especially after a return to the Rangers seemed unlikely (and let's face it, they don't need him right now; that team is clicking).

You'd have to assume that at this point in the season, Kane would want to go to a legitimate Cup contender. As much as the good people of Buffalo deserve a solid season, this year's Sabres aren't it.

So, that left Florida as a frontrunner for Kane, and why not? They've got a solid roster that could make another solid playoff run, plus you've got that sweet, sweet So-Flo hockey season weather, and best of all: No. State. Income Taxes.

So, why wouldn't Kane pack his bags for Sunrise, Florida? Well, according to CapFriendly, despite recent moves to clear cap space, the Cats only have $1,678,425 on hand. Remember what Friedman reported? He's usually pretty good on this kind of stuff so that $2.75 million is probably at least in the ballpark. You don't need an advanced degree in mathematics to surmise that that's more than Florida could offer unless they made some other moves in the meantime.

As for the Red Wings? They've got around $5 million in available cap space. More than enough to sign Kane and still have some wiggle room.

That deal of Kane's will reportedly be prorated since the season has already started, which means he'll bring in around $2 million.

I'd take more money to deal with the cold and so would you. So would Patrick Kane.

The Red Wings have surprised a lot of people this season. (Photo by Darren Clark/NHLI via Getty Images)

Money Is Great, But The Red Wings Are A Great Team And A Nice Fit For Kane

The Red Wings have been one of the sneakiest teams in the league this season. There was a real lull for the franchise after their incredible 25-season postseason streak from 1990–91 through to 2015–16. However, they're really starting to come into their own this year. They've got some real studs like Dylan Larkin and Moritz Seider, plus a resurgent season from Shayne Gostisbehere.

Goaltending hasn't been Vezina-worthy, but Ville Husso and James Reimer have done the job just fine. Alex Lyon has posted some good numbers in the three games he has played this year.

Then, of course, you can't forget that the Red Wings also have Kane's old buddy Alex DeBrincat. He was one of the first shipped out of town when the Blackhawks started blowing things up a few years ago. That rebuild so Kane traded as well and ushered in the team's Connor Bedeard era.

Those two could certainly be reunited on a line, especially as Kane gets eased into Detroit's system.

Again, I said Detroit is sneaky this year, and if you weren't following the Atlantic division too closely this year, you might be shocked to learn they're in third place behind the Boston Bruins and — guess who? — the Florida Panthers. Detroit is just two points behind the Cats with a game in hand, so things could get interesting as the season progresses.

This is a solid deal for both sides especially if Kane is healthy and can slot it into the Red Wings lineup and immediately add some offensive punch.

This may not immediately stamp the Red Wings ticket for a return to the postseason, but it will certainly help the cause.

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