HENDERSON, Nev. — Patrick Kane laughed. Yeah, he needs 32 points to pass Mike Modano for the most in NHL history among players born in the United States, and that’s just one of the marks he could hit with the Detroit Red Wings this season.

“The first thing you think of is, if you play long enough, you’re going to reach some of these milestones, right?” the 36-year-old forward said at the NHL North American Player Media Tour on Tuesday.

Think about it more deeply, though, and you appreciate what Kane has put himself in position to accomplish. You can reach these milestones only if you play long enough at an elite level.

Kane might be the greatest American player of all time already. He has won the Stanley Cup three times, plus several individual awards. In 2016, he became the first player born in the United States to win the Hart Trophy when he was voted the NHL’s most valuable player.

With 1,343 points (492 goals, 851 assists) in 1,302 games, he’s within striking distance of Modano, who had 1,374 points (561 goals, 813 assists) in 1,499 games. He’s not far from Brett Hull, who played internationally for the United States and is listed as an American on NHL.com but was born in Canada. Hull had 1,391 points (741 goals, 650 assists) in 1,269 games.

Modano was one of Kane’s favorite players growing up. Kane was the favorite player of many current NHL stars, including New Jersey Devils center Jack Hughes, who emulated him.

“Still watch him,” Hughes said. “I love watching the Wings and turning them on TV. For me, he’s the best American to ever play, and I’m obviously really happy for him with all the milestones to come.”

Kane also is climbing the ranks of the greatest players of all time, period. He was named one of the 100 Greatest Players of the NHL’s first century when the League celebrated its centennial in 2017.

He needs eight goals to reach 500, 49 assists to reach 900 and 57 points to reach 1,400. Only 48 players have reached 500 goals, 20 players have reached 900 assists and 22 players have reached 1,400 points.

The way Kane is playing, he could hit all three milestones this season. He had 59 points (21 goals, 38 assists) in 72 games last season, but had 45 points (16 goals, 29 assists) in 43 games after Detroit hired coach Todd McLellan on Dec. 26.

“Obviously, last year I wish I would have had more production,” he said. “I got off to a tough start. But I feel like I should be about a point-a-game guy. I always felt that way, so that’s kind of where the bar is for me.

“Listen, obviously the numbers are great. It’s kind of how you judge yourself as a player, especially when you’re an offensive guy. But for me, it’s just the love of the game. I love being on the ice. I love practicing. I love playing. I love being in a moment where the team needs to count on you and you need to step up, right? That’s the kind of thrill that drives me now. It’s not necessarily the numbers.”

Kane wants to keep up with contemporaries like Washington Capitals forward Alex Ovechkin and Pittsburgh Penguins centers Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin.

“They’re still producing at such a high level,” he said. “It’s incredible. You want to do that too. You want to do that as you get older and prove that you can do it as well.”

Crosby talked about how Kane continues to come up big in big moments.

“He loves the game,” Crosby said. “But his ability just to slow it down and really find time and space when it doesn’t seem like it’s there, that’s something he’s been able to do forever, and he’s still doing it.”

Kane will begin his 19th NHL season when the Red Wings open against the Montreal Canadiens at Little Caesars Arena on Oct. 9.

“He’s one of the greatest of all time,” Buffalo Sabres center Tage Thompson said. “It’s not a surprise, when you watched when he was a rookie and a young player and stuff that he was doing, like he’s still doing now.

“His ability to stay consistent throughout the course of his career is what’s made him so great. Players can do it for one or two years, but the fact that he’s done it for about 20 now is pretty ridiculous.”

How many more years will he do it? How many more milestones will he reach?

After last season, he said he’d like to play to 1,500 games.

“That’s just maybe a goal,” Kane said. “I don’t know if I’ll play more or less. If I’m feeling good and still love it, I think I’ll keep playing as long as I can.”

NHL.com senior director of editorial Shawn P. Roarke contributed to this report