The New York Rangers officially acquired star winger Patrick Kane from the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday night. In exchange for Kane, the Rangers will send 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. However, that first-round pick would be in 2024 or 2025. Additionally, minor league defenseman Andy Welinski will be sent to the Blackhawks while minor league defenseman Cooper Zech will join Kane is heading to New York. Rangers successfully acquire Patrick Kane from Blackhawks after overcoming obstacles.
Patrick Kane from Blackhawks after overcoming obstacles
At 5 p.m. ET, the Rangers finally acquired enough cap space to accommodate Kane’s contract. The Blackhawks will retain 50% of Kane’s $10.5 million contract, and the Arizona Coyotes will take on 50% of that, meaning Kane will count for only $2.625 million against the Rangers’ cap. Ranger’s general manager Chris Drury acknowledged the team’s 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.”
On Tuesday night, the New York Rangers officially acquired star winger Patrick Kane from the Chicago Blackhawks. The trade involved the Rangers sending two draft picks to Chicago, a conditional 2023 second-round pick, and a 2025 fourth-rounder. The Rangers will also send minor league defenseman Andy Welinski to the Blackhawks while minor league defenseman Cooper Zech will join Kane heading to New York.
To make the deal happen, the Rangers had to accrue the appropriate amount of cap space to fit in Kane’s $10.5 million contract, which they did by 5 p.m. ET on Tuesday. Chicago will retain 50% of Kane’s contract, and the Arizona Coyotes will take on 50%, meaning Kane will count for only $2.625 million against the Rangers’ cap. In exchange for facilitating the deal, Arizona will get a 2025 third-round pick from the Rangers, and Chicago acquired Finnish defenseman Vili Saarijarvi from Arizona to complete the trade.
Kane, who is in the final year of an eight-year deal that carried a no-movement clause, is a three-time Stanley Cup champion who was picked No. 1 by the Blackhawks in 2007. The 34-year-old winger forced Chicago’s hand to go to his preferred destination, which significantly lowered the potential return for the Blackhawks.
Despite his emotional ties to the Blackhawks, Kane expressed gratitude towards the organization and fans in a statement, saying, “Chicago will forever be home for us,” and adding that he felt the trade put him in the best position to immediately win another Stanley Cup.
Kane is expected to make his debut with the Rangers on Thursday at home against Ottawa, and the team is excited to have him on board. “We’re certainly excited that he wanted to be traded and that it was to the New York Rangers,” said Rangers general manager Chris Drury. Overall, the trade marks the end of an era for Kane and the Blackhawks and signals a new chapter for Kane as he joins the Rangers in pursuit of another championship.
The trade of Patrick Kane to the New York Rangers signifies the end of an era for the Chicago Blackhawks as they continue to rebuild their team through the draft under new management and coaching staff. While multiple teams, including the Carolina Hurricanes, Dallas Stars, and Edmonton Oilers, tried to pursue Kane, he pushed for a trade to the Rangers. Despite concerns about Kane’s hip injury, the Rangers finally acquired him after accruing the appropriate amount of cap space and working out a deal with Arizona to take on 50% of his $10.5 million contract. In exchange, the Rangers sent two draft picks to Chicago and minor league defenseman Andy Welinski, while minor league defenseman Cooper Zech joins Kane in New York.
Kane, a three-time Stanley Cup champion, was emotional about leaving Chicago but is excited to join the Rangers and help them win another championship. He will make his debut with the team on Thursday against Ottawa. The Rangers initially pursued Vladimir Tarasenko of the St. Louis Blues before acquiring Kane, but they felt they had a real chance to land him in the days leading up to the trade. Kane has been on a tear lately, scoring seven goals and 10 points in his four most recent games before leaving the Blackhawks’ West Coast trip once the trade materialized.
Overall, the trade represents a significant move for both teams and could have major implications for the remainder of the NHL season. The Blackhawks will continue to rebuild their team through the draft, while the Rangers add one of the league’s top wingers to their roster as they push for a championship.
Patrick Kane will be joining his former Chicago Blackhawks teammate Artemi Panarin in New York after the Rangers acquired him in a trade. Kane has been a consistent goal-scorer, topping 20 goals in 14 of his 15 seasons before this one. Blackhawks CEO Danny Wirtz called the trade deadline “challenging” but said that trading Kane was “another step in the process” in their commitment to building another winning team in Chicago. The Blackhawks are in the midst of a rebuild, and Wirtz said that the team would “continue tirelessly to achieve our goals.” Wirtz also commended general manager Kyle Davidson and his team for their leadership in navigating the trade deadline.
Kane, a three-time Stanley Cup champion, said he was emotional about leaving the Blackhawks but felt that the move to the Rangers put him in the best position to win another Stanley Cup immediately. The winger has been receiving treatment for a hip injury this year, which initially gave the Rangers pause, but Kane downplayed the severity of the injury. He will make his debut for the Rangers on Thursday.