As anticipated, the Rangers have reportedly made their second big splash of the season, trading for Blackhawks star Patrick Kane to further bolster the roster ahead of their hopeful playoff run.
According to NHL insider Frank Seravalli, the Rangers will give up a second and fourth-round pick in return, though the second rounder could become a first-round pick. ESPN's Emily Kaplan reports that it becomes a first rounder if New York makes it back to the Eastern Conference Final.
Seravalli added that Kane could make his Rangers debut as early as Wednesday night against the Flyers.
Kane, who had to waive his no-trade clause to accept a deal to New York, reportedly had interest in joining the Rangers, and was publicly disappointed when the Blueshirts acquired Vladimir Tarasenko, believing that the addition of a veteran playing the same position all but took the Rangers out of the Kane sweepstakes.
Instead, New York is doubling down, maneuvering salary to fit Kane on the roster and try to build off last year’s finish, which ended in six games in the Eastern Conference Finals.
In Kane, the Rangers are getting a load of playoff experience, as Kane hoisted the Stanley Cup three times with Chicago, and won the Conn Smythe in 2013. A four-time All-Star, Kane is just one year removed from a 92-point season, and now, at 34 years old, has come alive once again, logging 10 points in his last five games. On the season as a whole, Kane has 16 goals and 29 assists in 54 games, and a 41.1 Corsi For percentage.
The Blackhawks were prepared to accommodate Kane’s desire for a future home, after playing his entire 16-year career with Chicago, and the Blackhawks in a period of transition. The face of the franchise’s glory years from a decade ago, Kane was Chicago’s No. 1 overall pick in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft, and ranks third in franchise history in games played (1,161) and goals (446), and is second in team history in assists (779) and points (1,225).
Now, Kane turns the page to a chapter in his career that he assumed was off the table after the Rangers traded for Tarasenko. Instead, he will join a star-studded group of forwards that includes Tarasenko, Artemi Panarin, Mika Zibanejad, Chris Kreider, and Vincent Trocheck.
Follow Ryan Chichester on Twitter: @ryanchichester1
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