Adding Patrick Kane a sign that Steve Yzerman believes Detroit Red Wings are playoff team

It’s happening.

At the quarter point of the NHL season, the Detroit Red Wings look like playoff contenders and Steve Yzerman finally looks like he agrees, proving his faith in this team by adding Patrick Kane, arguably history’s best American-born hockey player.

Trading for Alex DeBrincat in the offseason was the first sign the Wings general manager liked what he saw.

But acquiring Kane a quarter of the way through the season, with the Wings earning points in 14 of 20 games, riding a three-game winning streak, firmly in playoff contention and coming off an impressive win at Boston, is something different.

Adding a three-time Stanley Cup champion, a playoff MVP and a league MVP suggests Yzerman will finally lean toward being a buyer, or at the very least not a seller, at the trade deadline.

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The deal for Kane, reportedly one year for $2.75 million, wasn’t official Tuesday, likely because of medical considerations stemming from invasive hip surgery he had in June. But the fact Yzerman was even pursuing Kane is even more important.

As a larger-than-usual media contingent entered the Wings’ dressing room Tuesday morning, the news was clearly on players’ minds as it spread through snow-covered Hockeytown like an early Christmas present.

“Eighty-eight’s over here,” David Perron joked, referencing Kane’s number as he pointed to Daniel Sprong’s locker.

Sprong, a fourth-line forward, said he would have no problem handing over 88 but joked (maybe) that the exchange might require a green box, meaning a Rolex, from Kane. (Psst, Dan, settle for no less than a white-dial Daytona).

“It's exciting for sure,” Perron said. “Hopefully it shows a little bit of what we've done so far, what we're trying to build and he's a great player. So when all that stuff gets taken care of it'd be great to add him.”

The player who might stand to benefit the most is also the player who played a role in luring Kane to Detroit. That would be DeBrincat, who spent five seasons in Chicago with Kane and gave him the lowdown on the Wings organization.

“Just kind of getting my experiences on how the organization is and how we're treated here,” he said. “You know, the depth of our team and I feel like we have a really good group here.

“So, you know, I think just kind of giving him my experiences here so far and kind of feeling him out and seeing what he was looking for.”

The big question is how much Kane, 35, has left, how much he will contribute and how soon it will all happen?

All of those questions start with his surgery, a dicey operation that requires dislocating the thigh bone. Only two other NHL players, Ed Jovanovski and Nicklas Backstrom, have tried to come back from the surgery and have been unsuccessful.

DeBrincat has been in close and constant contact with Kane and said he’s “feeling well” and “rejuvenated.” But even DeBrincat said it might take a minute before Kane clicks with his new team.

“I think it might take a little bit,” he said. “Maybe it's not gonna click right away but I don't expect it to take a crazy amount of time.

“I think we know who each other are as players and where we like to be. But I think it's gonna take some time. I think nothing really clicks that easily.”

If the hip doesn’t hinder him, Kane could be a lethal force. It’s been five years since he scored 40 goals, but he’s only two years removed from a 92-point season. He’s always been a diminutive dervish, a potent power-play presence, an elite passer and a consistent playmaker.

But it was Kane’s mind for hockey that truly impressed Derek Lalonde over a simple phone call when they discussed a potential union.

“Obviously a brilliant hockey mind and you can tell he's watched us a lot,” the Wings coach said. “It was an easy conversation. Impressed with our neutral zone, ‘What are you doing in neutral zone, what are you doing your D zone?’”

Because the deal wasn’t consummated, Lalonde was hesitant to discuss Kane in depth. But he warned, like DeBrincat, that it might take time for Kane to settle in.

“Even if it does happen,” he said, “I think there’s going to be some time here, a level patience, certainly from us as a coaching staff going forward.”

Luckily, everyone in Hockeytown has gotten really good at waiting. But it’s heartening to know there’s a guy in the GM’s office who has finally trying to move things along a little a faster.

Contact Carlos Monarrez: cmonarrez@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @cmonarrez.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Patrick Kane shows Steve Yzerman thinks Red Wings are playoff team