Yzerman: Forget about lottery odds, Red Wings eying playoff chase

If the Detroit Red Wings hadn’t already crossed the line from rebuilding to playoff contending with a series of offseason moves, signing Patrick Kane pushed them across that threshold.

Adding a 35-year-old future Hall of Famer coming off hip surgery is not a move made for the future, it’s done for immediate results.

The Red Wings have started well without Kane at 12-7-3, fourth in the Atlantic Division with a .614 points percentage, currently in a wild card spot. But they’re barely one-quarter of the way through the season.

They’re hoping Kane, one of the game’s premier offensive players in his prime, will help keep them in playoff contention throughout the season and possibly be the final piece in ending a seven-year postseason drought.

“I have some reason to believe, prior to signing Patrick Kane, that we’re going to hang around if we’re healthy and if our goaltending holds up, I think we can compete for a playoff spot,” general manager Steve Yzerman said Wednesday after signing Kane to a one-year, prorated $2.75 million contract. “You look at our conference and our division, it goes for every team, if you stay healthy and your goaltending is good, you’re going to stay in the mix. We think we have a chance to be in the mix and a healthy Patrick Kane gives us a better chance.

“We’re at that point, and maybe it started somewhere last year, where we’re not looking at what the draft odds are, we’re trying to see if we can’t stay in the hunt a little bit. We were close to it last year at the (trade) deadline but fell off. Today, we’re hoping we can hang in the hunt and if anything become a better hockey team.”

Kane took part in Wednesday’s morning skate, but due to the schedule won’t get in his first full practice with the team until Monday. He said his debut could come as soon as Tuesday in Buffalo or by the end of next week (the Red Wings host San Jose Thursday and Ottawa on Dec. 9).

Kane described the Red Wings as a deep and good all-around team that’s been playing “stingy” defensively and has “a lot of players throughout their lineup that can make plays and create chances off one little play.”

That was among the reasons he chose Detroit over a handful of other suitors.

“There’s a lot of teams that are considered contenders; I think it might have been blown out of proportion that I had to join a big-time contender,” Kane said. “You definitely want to go to a team that’s competing for a playoff spot. Someone that you think you can help. Detroit’s playing really well this year and I’m hoping I’m a piece that can help us get to the playoffs and hopefully further than that.”

Coach Derek Lalonde said Kane likely will start on a line with Alex DeBrincat, which makes sense since they had tremendous success in five years together with the Chicago Blackhawks. Dylan Larkin, who will return to the lineup Saturday in Montreal (7 p.m., Bally Sports Detroit) after missing two games, might center the line. Or they could put J.T. Compher in that spot and keep Larkin and Lucas Raymond together.

“It’s safe to assume (Kane and DeBrincat) will play together, if not at the start, then at some point,” Yzerman said. “(Kane) can transport the puck, make plays over the blue line. Alex DeBrincat knows how to get open, how to get himself in the right spots to shoot the puck and he gets his shot off very quickly, knows where to put his shot. It seems like it always has a chance to go in. You got the prototypical playmaker and the shooter, the finisher.”

The Red Wings are deeper and have more viable options than they’ve had in years.

“I’m looking forward to playing with guys like Lucas Raymond and talk to him about different things,” Kane said. “Going against someone like J.T. Compher in practice, I’ve skated with him in Chicago and he’s always very competitive. Always enjoyed going against him in the NHL. Obviously, DeBrincat, (Moritz) Seider as well. He seems like he could be a big-time defender for a long time in this league. It’ll be good for me to learn from the young guys, too, not just them learning from me.”