The Chicago Blackhawks have officially sent their star winger, Patrick Kane, to the New York Rangers.
Patrick Kane: New York Rangers Adds High end Winger
In exchange, the Rangers are sending two draft picks to Chicago: a conditional 2023 second-round pick and a 2025 fourth-rounder. The 2023 second-round pick will become a first-rounder if the Rangers make the Eastern Conference finals, but that first-round pick would be in 2024 or 2025.
The Rangers also sent minor league defenseman Andy Welinski to the Blackhawks, while minor league defenseman Cooper Zech joins Kane in heading to New York.
After accruing the appropriate amount of cap space to fit Kane's contract, New York finally acquired him at 5 p.m. ET. Chicago will retain 50% of Kane's $10.5 million contract, and the Arizona Coyotes signed on to take on 50% of that, meaning Kane will count for only $2.625 million against the Rangers' cap.
Rangers general manager Chris Drury acknowledged the difficult salary cap situation during an online media availability, saying, "We definitely took that into consideration. There probably wasn't another situation where we would have pushed the limits. But to get a Patrick Kane, you don't get an opportunity like that very often."
The Arizona Coyotes will receive a 2025 third-round pick from the Rangers for facilitating the deal. And Chicago acquired Finnish defenseman Vili Saarijarvi from Arizona to complete it.
Kane, a three-time Stanley Cup champion who was picked No. 1 by the Blackhawks in 2007, is in the final year of an eight-year deal that carried a no-movement clause. The 34-year-old winger forced Chicago's hand to go to his preferred destination, which significantly lowered the potential return for the Blackhawks.
"I think Patrick recognized it was a good fit for him and it's a good fit for us," Drury said. "We're certainly excited that he wanted to be traded and that it was to the New York Rangers."
Sources close to Kane said he was emotional about the move, as he always envisioned himself retiring as a Blackhawks player. Kane stated in a statement released by the Blackhawks, "I'm so thankful for everything the city, the Blackhawks organization, my teammates and the fans have done for me and my family over the last 16 years, the support was constant from day one and Chicago will forever be home for us. This has been an emotional time for me and my family, but I feel this decision puts me in the best spot to immediately win another Stanley Cup. This isn't about me leaving the Blackhawks, but this is an opportunity for me -- the Blackhawks did everything they could to put me in a great position and I will forever be grateful. It is bittersweet to leave a place that is so special to me, but I will always carry the memories we made in Chicago."
Kane will fly to New York and make his debut on Thursday at home against Ottawa, the team said. The Rangers on Wednesday will meet the Flyers in Philadelphia.
Dealing away Kane represents Chicago's official turn away from its championship era as it rebuilds through the draft with a new management team and coaching staff in place.
The Rangers initially wanted to add only one high-end winger at the trade deadline, according to multiple sources, and they chose Vladimir Tarasenko of the Blues over Kane earlier this month.
According to sources, multiple teams tried to pursue Kane -- including the Carolina Hurricanes, Dallas Stars, and Edmonton Oilers -- however, the winger pushed behind the scenes to still go to the Rangers.
Conclusionn:
The Patrick Kane trade has been a significant event in the NHL. The Chicago Blackhawks have decided to rebuild through the draft, while the New York Rangers have added a high-end winger to their roster.
