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 2023 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 percent 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)
Here are the conditions on the second rounder, per Emily Kaplan of ESPN.
The Rangers are acquiring Patrick Kane for a 2023 conditional second pick and 2023 fourth-round pick.
Per sources, the conditions of second round pick: turns into a first IF the Rangers make the Conference Finals. However that first round pick would be in either 2024 or 2025.
— Emily Kaplan (@emilymkaplan) February 28, 2023
New York Rangers
Rangers grade: 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.
Kreider – Mika – Tarasenko
Panarin – Trocheck – Kane
Laf – Chytil – Kakko
Vesey – Goodrow – MotteAbsolutely bonkers.
— Ryan Mead (@OhRyanMead) February 28, 2023
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.
Chicago Blackhawks
Blackhawks grade: C+
It’s going to take some time to get used to seeing Kane in a jersey other than Blackhawks’ red. Until Tuesday, Kane was a life-long 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 wave 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 last year’s deadline.
The Rangers very well could make the Eastern Conference Final, which would bump the second-round pick to become a first in either 2024 or 2025. It’s nothing to write home about, but given how stacked the Rangers are, a first is a real possibility here.
For now, however, 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 certainly dawning in Chicago.
