Patrick Kane trade: Who won the Blackhawks-Rangers deal?
Patrick Kane got his wish. On Tuesday, the Chicago Blackhawks traded Kane to the New York Rangers after days of rumors. The list of possible contender destinations narrowed for Kane throughout February, but the Rangers were able to make the trade work after the 34-year-old forward all but demanded to be moved to New York.
Kane was one of the biggest names on the market ahead of the NHL trade deadline on Friday. With Kane off the market, it seems as if the floodgates are set to open on the rest of the pack as the days dwindle down ahead of the deadline.
As the dust settles on this deal, let’s break down the details of the Kane trade and give out grades to both the Rangers and Blackhawks.
The details
Despite Kane’s status as a top NHL player, there aren’t a lot of pieces going back to Chicago here.
⬤ Rangers get: F Patrick Kane (50% retained), D Cooper Zech.
⬤ Blackhawks get: D Vili Saarijarvi, D Andy Welinski, 2023 second-round pick (conditional), 2025 fourth-round pick.
⬤ Coyotes get: 2025 third-round pick (from the Rangers).
The Blackhawks get back a 2023 conditional second-round pick and a 2025 fourth-round pick. The second-round pick can become a first (in either 2024 or 2025) if the Rangers reach the conference final, reports say.
Rangers: B+
Kane is not the player he once was. With 16 goals and 45 points in 54 games this season, it’s clear that Kane is no longer the outstanding goal scorer and point producer he was in his youth. However, Kane’s addition to New York’s top six does put the Rangers up there with the Maple Leafs and Bruins in terms of pure offensive firepower.
Seriously, the lineup the Rangers will ice for the rest of this season is something else.
In terms of pure on-ice value, the Rangers added a solid top-six point producer for a very minimal price as they look to shore up their Stanley Cup aspirations. With the addition of Vladimir Tarasenko earlier in the month, general manager Chris Drury has done nearly all he can to bolster the Rangers’ offensive production.
And yet the specter of Kane’s past will sour this deal for many Rangers fans. In 2015, Kane was accused of sexual assault and rape by a 21-year-old woman. Kane ultimately did not face criminal charges.
Blackhawks: C+
Until Tuesday, Kane was a lifelong Blackhawk, with 16 seasons and three Stanley Cups under his belt. Now, he’ll look to chase another one with New York.
The return for the Blackhawks is underwhelming, to be sure. It makes sense, given that Kane only wanted to waive his no-trade clause to go to New York, putting Chicago in quite a bind. The same happened to the Flyers last year when Claude Giroux only wanted to be traded to the Panthers at the deadline.
The Rangers very well could make the Eastern Conference final. It’s nothing to write home about, but given how stacked the Rangers are, a first is a real possibility here.
For now, the Blackhawks will have to continue the long and slow process of a full rebuild. With very few pillars left standing from their championship years in the 2010s, a new era is dawning.