S.Y. has a handful of core players. I think DeBrincat has a chance to join but only if he plays some D. I do NOT imagine Lalonde and Yzerman just cutting DBC loose from D responsibility. Also DeBrincat in 2021-22 was very responsible defensively but scored less. So he can do it.

The rest of Yzerman’s final core is either in GR or in the future. Either way though its at least two years off and likely 3 or 4 years off.

So this seems like a good time to loosen up a little and score a few. Feels evolution-ally similar to when Klima came to the Wings.

Kane can be a good addition but they need to get him audition with the team to see what he is before signing. If he can log some DBc minutes and time on PP and can still keep up then yes. I could imagine him being a very productive addition.

Certainly Kane with DBc and any Wings C will push for top line defensive attention by the opposition leaving two pretty stout Wings second and even third lines to be covered by lesser defenders. Seems a pretty good deal if by adding Kane another top line instantly materializes. He’s worth a look.

The Wings also have really interesting centers on hand and waiting in the mix. Larkin, Copp, Rasmusson, Fabbri, Kostin, Kasper, Lombardi, Danielson. Any can play with Kane and DBc and score points.

Then recall the many roster Wings are expecting “break-out” seasons ? A lot to look forward to is already here. Adding Kane couldn’t hurt.

Agree with you on most things but maybe Kane is not so great an option. Not sure Kane would be as good as he was back when they played before. Hip surgery and age can be a problem. Might still be worth a shot to see if a really good deal for the Wings. But would not go out of the way to get him or overcommit or anything.

They do not even have the core he wants defined before really going for it. He always said that was required and sure he has explained that to CI even before he hired him that is a key to the long term plan. They have what maybe Seider and Larkin as set core? Core player (young core as he says) you can 100% be certain will be here in 4-5 years. There are no other players to put into that 5-7 player group at the moment. Need at least 4-5 kids (or at least 25 or younger) to take 4-5 spots on the core. Maybe the core ends up with Cossa, Husso, Raymond, DeBrincat, Rasmussen, Kasper, Soderblom, Danielson, Mazur, Edvinsson, ASP, even Johansson or someone new, never know, but nothing is certain to assure no moves that affect that 5-7 player group. Once they have that in 3-4 year or whatever then they either are making runs or the rebuild failed and you can move on and call for a new GM.

Can’t think of another GM that would not panic and switch to win now mode for fear of being fired. It is a unique thing and actually good since no top draft picks means there was no jump start or short cut to getting to that core so the mess he was left with and having to dig out of that meant when Holland said any real rebuild takes 10 year commitment might not have been far off. Time will tell if it works out or not. I think in a few years if the youth coming through just don’t seem good enough to win it all he has a real problem.

This roster was built to add excitement. The fan’s want some gee whiz sprinkles on their too vanilla re-build process.

Yzerman thinks they could make the playoffs, which would be great but he’s not finished assembling the perennial cup contending red wings team that he was hired to build.

Now that we guess we have that sorted, the excitement angle may add some gravitas to the Patrick Kane to the Red Wings talk. The idea has a karma about it like the DeBrincat deal had, falling right into Yzerman’s lap.

In 2020 2021 DeBrincat and Kane combined for 122 points with Kane minus 7 and DeBrinkat plus 3. Pius Suter centered some adding 27 points. Chicago played a little bit of D that season and finished near .500.

In 2022-23 Kane-92 DeBrincat-78 Toews-37 =207 Combined MINUS = -42 Team played virtually no D finished near .400