Patrick Kane is returning to the Detroit Red Wings for next season on a contract that gives him a chance to earn up to $6.5 million if he helps the Original Six franchise end its lengthy playoff drought.
Kane signed a one-year contract on Sunday that a person with knowledge of the situation says is worth $4 million in salary with $2.5 million in additional incentives. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because terms of the deal were not announced.
Kane, a 35-year-old winger from Buffalo who won the Stanley Cup three times with Chicago from 2010-15, has continued playing after hip resurfacing surgery that only two other NHL players have returned from. He was nearly a point-a-game player in his first season with the Red Wings, scoring 20 goals and adding 27 assists.
Only Mike Modano has more NHL points than Kane's 1,284 among U.S.-born players. He is entering his 17th professional season.
Kane figured to have multiple suitors if he reached free agency Monday. Instead, he will try to lead Detroit back to the postseason for the first time since 2016. The eight-season run without a playoff appearance is the longest in the organization's history that dates to 1926.
The Red Wings are expected to continue to be active in the free agent and trade markets, potentially adding a goaltender after missing out on the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference because of a tiebreaker with Washington.
Earlier Sunday, the team extended qualifying offers to restricted free agents Lucas Raymond, Moritz Seider, Jonatan Berggren and Joe Veleno to retain their rights.
AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl
FILE - Detroit Red Wings right wing Patrick Kane (88) skates with the puck as Buffalo Sabres' Owen Power (25) defends with goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (1) in the second period of an NHL hockey game April 7, 2024, in Detroit. Hundreds of millions of dollars will be committed to free agents, including a strong crop of forwards led by longtime Tampa Bay captain Steven Stamkos, 2023 playoff MVP Jonathan Marchessault and three-time Stanley Cup champion Kane. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya, File)
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Texas Rangers shortstop Corey Seager was out of the lineup for the second straight game Tuesday night since getting hit by a pitch on his left wrist.
Manager Bruce Bochy said Seager took some swings before the series opener at home against San Diego, and was doing better since getting hit Saturday night. The shortstop went to the ground before getting up and walking off the field after getting struck on a check swing in Baltimore.
Initial X-rays revealed no broken bone, and that was confirmed by an MRI on Monday after the Rangers got home from the trip.
While the Rangers hope to get Seager back soon, third baseman Josh Jung hasn't swung a bat since his last rehabilitation game June 20. He is coming back from a fractured right wrist that occurred when he was hit by a pitch in the fourth game of the season on April 1. He had surgery the next day.
Jung has been dealing with inflammation and soreness in the tendon of his wrist after 17 at-bats in four rehab games.
“Just trying to get this thing to calm down. That’s really all we’re doing,” Jung said Tuesday in the Rangers clubhouse.
Outfielder Evan Carter, who has missed 31 games with a lumbar sprain, has been taking some swings at the team's complex in Arizona, and Bochy said he should be facing live pitching within a few days. Carter is still considered a rookie even after his debut at the end of last season and his standout play through the playoffs as the Rangers won the World Series.
Right-hander Tyler Mahle was making his first rehab start Tuesday night for Double-A Frisco, about 13 1/2 months after he had Tommy John surgery in May 2023. The Rangers signed him to a $22 million, two-year contract during the winter, knowing he would be out for much of this season. If all goes well, he could join the team in early August.
Jung was voted by fans as the American League starter in last year's All-Star Game when he was a rookie. He said he is trying to keep his legs fresh and in shape. He does some stuff in the batting cage trying to see pitches and can go through some fielding work without throwing the ball.
“Not a whole lot baseball activity-wise,” he said. “I try to do everything I can to stay as ready as I can. ... I'm not really able to do a whole lot right night, so just do everything I can to stay ready in my mind.”
Bochy said Jung had a significant injury, and the manager expressed that he's “not surprised there’s been a hiccup or two along the way.”
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB
Texas Rangers' Corey Seager (5) walks off the field after being hit by a pitch thrown by Baltimore Orioles pitcher Cade Povich during the fifth inning of a baseball game as manager Bruce Bochy, left, looks on, Saturday, June 29, 2024, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Terrance Williams)
Texas Rangers' Corey Seager sits on the ground after being hit by a pitch thrown by Baltimore Orioles pitcher Cade Povich during the fifth inning of a baseball game, Saturday, June 29, 2024, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Terrance Williams)
