The Patrick Kane era is about to begin in Detroit. The newest Red Wings forward hopes to play his first game with his new team sometime in the next 7-10 days, he told NHL.com's Dan Rosen on Wednesday.

“With the way I feel, I feel like I could play tonight, but probably getting back into it, skating with the team a little bit, getting acclimated with the whole new situation and everything, and go from there,” Kane said after Detroit's morning skate at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday. “Hopefully it's a week, 10 days, something like that.”

Kane was not in the lineup on Wednesday night against his old club, a game the Wings led 2-1 but eventually lost 3-2 to the New York Rangers on a Jimmy Vesey game winner late in the third.

Still, Detroit looks like a playoff contender this season, which affected the three-time Stanley Cup champion's decision.

“I just thought the fit was good,” the star American explained. “That's not to say it wasn't good anywhere else, but I think with a young team that's been playing well as of late I can come in, build my game, not too much pressure on me right away with the success they're having this year.”

Kane signed a one-year, $2.75 million contract with the Original Six squad on Tuesday, and was already with them in New York. The longtime Chicago Blackhawk was an unrestricted free agent prior to signing, but took months to rehab from hip resurfacing surgery on Jun. 1.

The 35-year-old says he feels 100 percent healthy one quarter into the 2023-24 campaign.

The Kane-DeBrincat connection

Detroit Red Wings forwards Patrick Kane and Alex DeBrincat reunited in Detroit on November 29, 2023 after Kane joined on a one year contract

Besides the team's hot start to the season, one of the main reasons Kane joined the Red Wings was to play with Michigan native and former linemate Alex DeBrincat.

Kane and The Cat were electric together in the Windy City from 2017-22, and the hope is the two can rekindle their chemistry on a line with elite center Dylan Larkin in Detroit.

“Probably the DeBrincat factor had something to do with it too, just being comfortable playing with him not only on the ice but off the ice,” Kane reflected. “Excited to build that chemistry again. We had some really good moments in Chicago. It'll be fun to play with him again.”

Patrick Kane's highly-anticipated season debut should come sometime next week, either against the Sabres in Buffalo on Tuesday, or at home against the San Jose Sharks two days later.