Red Wings provide update on Patrick Kane's health

It seemed nearly impossible to imagine Chicago Blackhawks icon Patrick Kane wearing the colors of any other NHL team, much less their once-historic rival Detroit Red Wings. But just as in 1999 when Blackhawks captain Chris Chelios was traded to Detroit and spent the next decade with the team, Kane is now a member of the Red Wings. 

His arrival in Detroit came right at the beginning of a rather surprising slump for the team that has seen them drop eight of their last 10 games. Dylan Larkin missed four games after his frightening injury against the Ottawa Senators on December 9, while David Perron was banned for the next six games for his retaliatory cross check to Senators forward Artum Zub, whom he mistakenly believed was responsible for injuring Larkin.

Additionally, reliable defensive forward J.T. Compher missed a handful of games with an injury of his own. As if that weren't enough, the Red Wings are also without goaltenders Ville Husso and Alex Lyon.

While the good news for Detroit is that they have as good a chance as any team to go on a winning streak in the near future, the even better news is that Kane's hip has held up well after having undergone resurfacing surgery over the offseason. 

There were many questions as to how Kane's hip would hold up, especially at the relatively elderly age by hockey standards of 35. But with five goals and five assists in 10 games that include three goals in his last pair of games, he's given no indication that he's slowing down. And according to head coach Derek Lalonde, they're "impressed" with what Kane has brought.

“I’ve been very impressed and surprised with where he’s been physically,” Lalonde said. “It was really unfair to him when he came in we had our top two centers out, we had a plan of limiting his ice time and because we were in these tight games, chasing some of these tight games, he played some back to backs and 20 minutes. A little unfair to him. Probably not the best managing of him. But that’s where our lineup was.”

Can Kane help the Red Wings rebound from their slump and get back into the playoff picture? 

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