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On Tuesday, the New York Rangers acquired Patrick Kane from the Chicago Blackhawks in a trade, reuniting the star winger with former colleague Artemi Panarin and establishing themselves as a Stanley Cup contender in the stacked Eastern Conference.
After acquiring Vladimir Tarasenko from St. Louis on February 9, New York was thought to be out of the running for Kane. Kane, 34, has likewise been noncommittal when questioned about leaving his sole NHL home.
Yet, Kane enjoyed playing alongside Panarin for two seasons during the start of the Russian winger’s NHL career, and the three-time Stanley Cup winner was in charge of his position due to a no-movement provision in his contract.
Following days of speculation and salary constraint manipulation, the Rangers handed a conditional 2023 second-round draught selection, a 2025 fourth-rounder, and minor league defenseman Andy Welinski to the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for Kane and minor league defenseman Cooper Zech. As part of the deal, Chicago received Finnish defender Vili Saarijarvi from Phoenix.
The Rangers gave the Coyotes a 2025 third-round pick in exchange for retaining 25% of Kane’s contract, with the Blackhawks paying the other 50%.
If the Rangers win the East this year, Chicago’s conditional second-round pick from New York will become a first-round pick in 2024. If it stays a second-round pick, the Blackhawks will have eight selections in the first three rounds of the 2018 draught.
Patrick Kane might make his Rangers debut against Philadelphia on Wednesday night or against Ottawa on Thursday night. With Philadelphia, he scored the biggest goal of his NHL career, an overtime winner in Game 6 of the 2010 Stanley Cup final that ended Chicago’s 49-year championship drought.
He was in the midst of his greatest stretch of the season when he was released by the Blackhawks on their road trip amid trade talks. During a four-game point run, he has seven goals and three assists. Kane was chosen first overall by the Blackhawks in the 2007 draught. Kane is in the last year of an eight-year, $84 million contract deal signed in July 2014.
He has at least 21 goals in 14 seasons and at least 40 assists in 13 years. He earned the NHL MVP award in 2016 after posting a career-high 46 goals and 60 assists in 82 games. Kane scored 26 goals and equaled a career-high with 66 assists in 78 games last season when Chicago featured Alex DeBrincat and Dylan Strome.
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