Patrick Kane goes to Rangers in 3-team trade with Blackhawks, Coyotes

In the last year of his contract, Patrick Kane, a great winger for the Chicago Blackhawks, was forced to play for a struggling squad. As the Rangers and Blackhawks reached an agreement on a trade on Tuesday, he will now have the opportunity to compete for a fourth Stanley Cup victory. For the impending unrestricted free agent who renounced his no-movement clause, the Blackhawks receive back a 2023 conditional second round selection, a 2025 fourth-round pick, and minor league defender Andy Welinski. According to sources, if the Rangers make it to the conference final, their second-round choice might end up being their first (in either 2024 or 2025). Cooper Zech, a minor league defenseman, will join the Rangers organisation as well. Kane's $10.5 million deal with Chicago will be split equally between the two teams, with Chicago keeping 50% and Arizona Coyotes taking on 50% making it a manageable $2.625 million for the cap scenario in New York. The Coyotes are transferring prospect Vili Saarijarvi to the Blackhawks in exchange for the Rangers' conditional third-round selection in 2025. The Rangers' earlier transfer of Vladimir Tarasenko was supposed to have eliminated them from the Kane race. Kane will now get to reconnect with Artemi Panarin, a former Blackhawks linemate.By dealing Vitali Kravtsov to the Vancouver Canucks, assigning Jake Leschyshyn to the American Hockey League, and making a few other minor roster adjustments on Tuesday, the Rangers were able to free up salary space. The Blackhawks handed Kane a healthy scratch and sent him home after the first two plays.

The Rangers have now acquired Kane and Tarasenko, who together have 11 seasons with 30 or more goals scored. The Blackhawks selected Kane first overall in the 2007 draught, and he went on to win three Stanley Cups in 2010, 2013, and 2015. Only captain Jonathan Toews, who is now sidelined due to illness, is still a member of the Chicago team from that run. Over his career, Kane has averaged 1.06 points per game and earned the Conn Smythe Trophy. named MVP of the playoffs in 2013, and took home the Hart Trophy and league scoring crown in 2015–16. He has been selected to the All-Star Game nine times. In an effort to start over, the Blackhawks released Alex DeBrincat, Kirby Dach, Dylan Strome, and Dominik Kubalik over the summer. This places them in the running for generational prospect Connor Bedard in the draught lottery. Kane's statistics have decreased as a result, but he had a goal-scoring streak of seven games before to the move. In 54 games thus far this season, he has 16 goals and 45 points.