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Kane “official”, Wings facing NYR Without Larkin and Holl, Walman back |
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Patrick Kane was wearing a Winged Wheel this morning. His status on Cap Friendly is still “registration pending” and that may have to do with his being able to feel good on the ice after a few full practices. At some point, Detroit will have to make space on the roster (assuming all is good to go) but I don’t think that’s a huge concern at this point.
Early in the season (and in the preseason) I just did not have Detroit as the destination. The only circumstance I could see was that this may be a lower pressure atmosphere for the elite playmaker to test himself and see if there was a career post surgery. So far, so good in terms of getting on the ice and skating. Backstrom is not feeling so confident and appears to be on the verge or retirement. The will and intense mental and physical road to come back from resurfacing is brutal.
That said, Kane won’t be on the ice as Detroit takes on his former team with a tilt against the Rangers. Larkin and Holl also appear to be out with Walman coming back in. At this point, I have no issue putting Compher at the helm of any line. He continues to look like a fantastic pick up for the organization.
The excitement about Kane will continue to spread and my guess is that his first appearance at the “Pizza Palace” will be met with plenty of fan service, stick taps, and video montages during commercial breaks. As Ken Daniels points out in the video above, Kane chose Detroit and had no shortage of suitors. Cap space was an issue for many teams but it’s hard to think the room wouldn’t have been created for the opportunity.
Back to tonight’s game. Larkin will be missed, but Compher has shown himself to be able to lead and make an impact in any situation. It’s good to have Walman back, and will be interesting to see what sort of minutes Berggren will find. I also wonder if Gostisbehere will be reunited with Seider as the two found some definite chemistry at times, even if just temporarily as a way to control Walman’s minutes a bit.
There’s a lot to be excited about. Detroit has been a different team since returning from overseas and has a 3 game win streak. Tonight will be a challenge and an interesting look at how the team starts and executes.