If Patrick Kane is willing, Detroit Red Wings owe it to themselves to re-sign him

Alex Lyon still has the puck, unsure what to do with it.

While three-time Stanley Cup champion and future first-ballot Hockey Hall of Famer Patrick Kane has been a part of so many big goals he could subsidize a puck factory, Lyon makes his living stopping them. But back on Dec. 9, he set in motion a play that ended with Kane scoring his first goal as a member of the Detroit Red Wings, and for a goaltender to earn an assist on such a goal, that's pretty cool.

"He’s been awesome with the team, such a great guy and such a steadying influence on us, that I feel like almost embarrassed to say this, but I feel honored to play with him to a degree," Lyon said. "It’s just been awesome."

Kane has been awesome — or, just himself — since joining the Wings on a one-year, $2.75 million contract at the end of November, making his debut Dec. 7. Just 46 games later — a little more than what constitutes half a season's worth of games — he reached the 20-goal for the 17th time in 18 seasons. Doing it at age 36 means a little more considering he underwent invasive hip surgery last June 1, and hadn't played hockey in half a year when he suited up with the Wings.

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"You’re never really sure going into surgery if it’s the right decision or not, but I feel like I put it off for two to three years, so it was probably time to do it," Kane said. "I'm really happy with everything. I feel like it’s going to get better and better, too, as time goes on, which is exciting. I’m excited to just keep dialing it in more and more and keep getting better."

From Dec. 7 to April 9, Kane had 44 points, tied for the team lead with Lucas Raymond, but Kane missed eight games because of injury, giving him a team-leading 0.96 points-per-game clip. That's how good Kane is.

"He’s been great," coach Derek Lalonde said. "The offense he’s produced, the leadership he’s brought, the presence he’s brought to the room. He’s been everything as advertised."

General manager Steve Yzerman is expected to let his pending unrestricted free agents know soon after the season ends — and Kane is doing his part to make sure there's a playoff coda — whether they fit into the team's future. Restricted free agents Moritz Seider and Raymond are both due hefty extensions, but even with that, the Wings would be well served to re-up Kane. On Kane's part, there's little rush to decide.

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"I haven’t really thought about it much," he said. "It’s going to come up eventually, but right now it’s more about being in the moment, staying in the present, being here with this team and trying to get into the playoffs. With the situation I was in, coming in and being here three-quarters of the season, it’s just this year and see what happens after.

"I have nothing but positive things to say about the organization and the coaches and the team in here. Really happy with the decision to come here. It’s been great being a Wing and playing at the LCA and the way the fans have embraced me, it’s really been great. I’ve been happy with everything."

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In Kane, the Wings have a consummate professional. His 20th goal came with 1.1 seconds left and the opponent leading by two goals — in other words, easy to not have tried, since there wasn't enough time to rally. But that's who Kane is.

"It's crazy," Lyon said. "I was starstruck when he came in and I continue to be starstruck by him. I would never say that to his face, but, having him shoot in practice and understanding what he understands — he thinks in a lot of ways like a goalie thinks. He understands exactly what’s going on with what a goalie is doing. To me, it’s like a chess match almost, and he’s the best at it.

"And also just seeing how he operates in these moments and seeing how he operates on a day-to-day basis — I think it’s easy to see what he does on the ice and be enamored, but, to me, I love watching him on a day-to-day basis and see how he prepares and the way he thinks and the way he acts and the way he does everything. I love that part of it."

Contact Helene St. James at hstjames@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @helenestjames.

Read more on the Detroit Red Wings and sign up for our Red Wings newsletter. Her latest book, “On the Clock: Behind the Scenes with the Detroit Red Wings at the NHL Draft,” is available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Triumph Books. Personalized copies available via her e-mail.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Why Detroit Red Wings should make re-signing Patrick Kane a priority