Kane returns to Wings with 1-year, $3M contract

The active Detroit Red Wings signed veteran forward Patrick Kane to a one-year contract extension worth $3 million, the club announced Monday night.

The deal allows Kane to avoid unrestricted free agency Tuesday and keeps the right wing with a franchise trying to make a strong push for the postseason in the clogged Eastern Conference.

“Jacked up to be back!,” Kane wrote in a social media post not long after the deal was announced. “Let’s go!”

Kane, 36, also took a one-year deal with the Red Wings last summer, with a $4 million salary cap hit, and made the most of it. Though Detroit failed to qualify for the postseason in the East, Kane had 21 goals and 59 points. It was his highest goal total since playing for Chicago in the 2021-22 season, when he finished with 26.

With the Red Wings last season, he played in 72 games, averaging 17:58 of ice time. This will be an interesting season for Kane. The 2007 No. 1 pick will turn 37 just before Thanksgiving and, depending on his start, might warrant consideration for Team USA’s 2026 Olympic roster.

Kane is third on the all-time list for goals by American-born players, 31 tallies behind Mike Modano in second place.

Over the weekend, the Red Wings acquired veteran goaltender John Gibson, who has two years remaining on his contract. Earlier Monday, in a move to clear salary cap space for free agency, Detroit sent veteran winger and two-time Stanley Cup champion Vladimir Tarasenko to the Minnesota Wild for future considerations.