Patrick Kane expected to return, but Todd McLellan watched Detroit's instability change the winger's plans.
Kane said that at the end of last season, he believed he would re-sign with the Red Wings and continue trying to end their playoff drought.
Then the situation shifted. During an appearance on Pardon My Take, Kane said “things happen” and explained that he decided to test the market on July 1.
Chicago moved immediately. Blackhawks owner Danny Wirtz called Kane at 11:03 a.m., only minutes after free agency opened.
That pursuit ended with Kane signing a 2-year, $16,000,000 contract and returning to the franchise where he won 3 Stanley Cups.
Kane didn't identify one exact reason for leaving Detroit. But the timing placed his decision beside major uncertainty inside the Red Wings organization.
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Detroit's instability opened the door for Chicago
Dylan Larkin reportedly requested a trade in early June, leaving Detroit's captain at an impasse with the club and limiting the available destinations.
Steve Yzerman then stepped down as general manager in mid-July. By the end of the month, Detroit still hadn't named his permanent replacement.
For Kane, that meant evaluating a team without stable management and with its top center's future unresolved. Chicago offered familiarity, money and a direct path home.
The departure leaves McLellan without one of Detroit's most productive forwards. Kane recorded 57 points last season and remained an important part of the top six.
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Detroit added Viktor Arvidsson after his 25-goal season with Boston, giving the lineup another established winger. Replacing Kane's creativity and chemistry with Alex DeBrincat still won't be simple.
The concern grows if Larkin is traded too. Losing both forwards would remove significant scoring from a club already trying to end a 10-season playoff absence.
Kane once believed he would stay. But when July arrived, Chicago acted quickly while Detroit's direction remained unsettled, and that changed the ending.
Did Detroit's front-office turmoil drive Patrick Kane away?
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