After signing Patrick Kane, Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde preaches patience ahead of his forthcoming debut.
The atmosphere is reminiscent of the glory days as the Detroit Red Wings welcomed a distinguished future Hall of Famer to their team. The recent signing of three-time Stanley Cup champion Patrick Kane to a one-year deal has ignited excitement among fans, and he'll be donning the Winged Wheel for the first time in short order. And in the words of head coach Derek Lalonde, Kane is ‘probably a ways away' from making a deep impact.
Patrick Kane is the newest Red Wings forward
Kane was selected as the 1st overall pick by the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2007 NHL Draft. He played a pivotal role in each of Chicago's three Stanley Cup championships in 2010, 2013, and 2015. Widely regarded as one of the greatest American-born NHL players, Kane has left an indelible mark in the league's history.
Derek Lalonde preaches patience ahead of Kane's debut
It remains to be seen exactly how Kane will be utilized with the Red Wings, according to Lalonde.
“Obviously you’re thinking about it, you have a plan, you have a bit of a vision, but we’re probably a ways away from that,” Lalonde said.
“It's certainly not ideal,” Lalonde said of Detroit's tightly-packed schedule and limited practice time, “but we’ll find ways to start implementing him in and get some bodies on him.”
Considering Kane's return from hip resurfacing surgery, the wise approach would be to afford him the necessary time to adapt to his new team instead of hastening his return to action.
“That’s why I think everyone has to give him a little time,” Lalonde said. “Let’s give it a few days, get him implemented, get acclimated a little bit, there’s no rush on it by any means. Let’s get there.
TL;DR (too long didn't read)
- Future Hall of Fame forward Patrick Kane has decided to sign with the Detroit Red Wings.
- The signing became official, though Kane isn't quite ready to make his Red Wings debut
- Head coach Derek Lalonde preaches patience and states the plan is to allow Kane time to get acclimated before he hits the ice in game action
Bottom Line: Hockeytown is excited for Patrick Kane
Red Wings fans vividly recall Kane's tenure with the rival Chicago Blackhawks, his performances often leaving an impact on Detroit during their intense battles, including a couple of tightly contested postseason series.
Similar to Chris Chelios in the past, a former fierce adversary has now joined the ranks of the Red Wings. The anticipation grows for Kane's imminent debut with the team, as he mentioned it might occur as early as next week.
