Patrick Kane Fantasy Hockey: What value does the new Red Wings winger bring to the table?

By Ryan Gagne

Modified Dec 06, 2023 21:33 GMT

Last year, Patrick Kane tallied 57 points in 73 games with the Chicago Blackhawks and New York Rangers. Luckily for the two teams, he surpassed 20 goals for the 15th time in his career but ended the season with the second-lowest point total of his Hall of Fame career.

After signing with the Detroit Red Wings on Nov. 28, the three-time Stanley Cup winner is about to make his 2023-24 regular-season debut.

Recently, Patrick Kane underwent hip resurfacing surgery, which very few skaters have returned from, including Washington Capitals' forward Nicklas Bäckström. Interestingly, Kane will become just the third skater to play in the league after the procedure.

However, Backström is the only one to come close to playing 50 games, sadly departing the Capitals earlier this season just 47 games after his return.

---

Analyzing Patrick Kane's Immediate Impact With the Red Wings

Heading into their next game on Dec. 7, against the San Jose Sharks, the Red Wings rank second in the NHL with 91 goals, trailing only the Vancouver Canucks, who already have 101 lamplighters.

Surprisingly, through 24 games, Detroit has only been shut out once and has already compiled ten games with five or more goals.

Considering that Patrick Kane is a gifted assist artist with 786 helpers in 1,180 career games, he'll complement the young Red Wings' offense, led by one of his favorite teammates, Alex DeBrincat. Historically, the two had fantastic chemistry during their brief time together in Chicago, with DeBrincat surpassing 40 goals on two occasions while having Kane as a linemate.

According to Stathead, Kane assisted on 72 of DeBrincat's 160 goals (45%) from 2017 to 2022. Additionally, DeBrincat returned the favor on 30 of Kane's 145 goals (20%) during the same period.

Alex DeBrincat and Patrick Kane celebrate a Chicago Blackhawks goal.

Although Kane signed a modest one-year contract valued at $2.7 million, there's no guarantee that he will get up to speed quickly with the Red Wings style of play and could struggle early to find chemistry with his new teammates.

Considering he left Chicago to go to New York last season to rekindle the magic he once had with Artemi Panarin, the duo hardy connected on Broadway, and the hopes of a lengthy playoff run ended in the first round.

Overall, if anyone out there grabbed Kane in a fantasy draft and stashed him away on injured reserve, there's a chance those people will need a lot of patience while he finds his footing in a new system.

Additionally, he'll monitor his body, unlike at any other time in his professional life, to see how everything responds to the surgery and rehab.

Ultimately, any Kane fans need to think long-term about his production and not expect him to jump out of the gate with multi-point contests like he was 25 all over again.

---

Predicting Patrick Kane's End-of-Season Totals

Statistically, Patrick Kane has reached 20 goals in every season except the shortened 2020-21 campaign, where he had 15 tallies in 56 games. Considering that the Red Wings still have 58 games, there's an outside chance he will reach the plateau again and finish the year with 21 based on his career average.

However, he's a lock to score at least 15 goals this season, no matter what line he plays on. Furthermore, the Buffalo, New York native has averaged 49 assists a season during his 16-year career, with a high of 66 (2019-19) and a low of 32 (2012-13).

Statistically, Kane has averaged 0.66 assists a game, and with the possibility of playing 56 games this year, he'd be on pace for 37 helpers. Given that the Red Wings are one of the highest-scoring teams in the league, Kane doesn't need to be a superstar upon returning.

Overall, if Patrick Kane is a fantasy option, there's a solid chance he'd finish the year with 58 points based on his career averages. Ultimately, that's an excellent production for a right winger who may not be in a top role on a fantasy team.

Realistically, anyone interested in Kane must understand the buyer beware sticker that comes with acquiring a 35-year-old on the backside of his illustrious career. However, given his history and the chance to play with a contending team loaded with young stars, Kane is worth adding to any roster because he may defy the odds in 2023-24.