The Patrick Kane era in Chicago is officially over.
The star winger was sent to the New York Rangers on Tuesday (Feb. 28) in a deal that returned a second and a fourth-round pick to the Blackhawks for 2023.
The second-round pick can become a first-rounder if the Rangers make the Eastern Conference finals, but that first-round pick would be in 2024 or 2025. Kane is expected to travel to the East Coast on Tuesday and could debut for the Rangers as soon as Wednesday when New York takes on Philadelphia.
Breaking: The Chicago Blackhawks have a deal in place to send star winger Patrick Kane to the New York Rangers, sources told @kristen_shilton. pic.twitter.com/nHvTfdT5Da
— ESPN (@espn) February 28, 2023
Chicago sits ninth in the West wild card, firmly out of the playoff race while New York is third in the Metropolitan division and sixth overall in the East. Acquiring Kane along with Vladimir Tarasenko, who the Rangers got from the Blues on Feb. 9, sets New York up for a playoff push to challenge the red-hot Boston Bruins. With Kane becoming a free agent after this season, moving the 34-year-old before the March 3 trade deadline made sense for the struggling Blackhawks.
In the deal, the two teams will split Kane’s $10.5 million contract but the Arizona Coyotes will take on half of the Rangers’ share in exchange for a 2025 third-round pick, meaning New York only takes a $2.625 million cap hit. According to Spotrac, the Rangers are over $2.5 million above the salary cap, last in the NHL.
The trade marks the end of an era in Chicago, as Kane was the force behind Stanley Cup wins in 2010, 2013 and 2015 for the Blackhawks. A four-time All-Star and the Blackhawks’ only first overall pick in franchise history, Kane logged more than 20 goals in 15 of the 16 years he spent in the Windy City, only missing the mark in the COVID-shortened 2020-21 season. He was the NHL’s points leader in 2016 with 106, winning the Hart Memorial Trophy for league MVP. He’s also a part of the NHL’s 100th Anniversary Team, which highlighted the 100 greatest players in NHL history.
Never forget when Patrick Kane hit the OT game winner in 2010 to end the Blackhawks 49 year Stanley Cup drought pic.twitter.com/63EsyvRLrz
— Fanatics Sportsbook | PB (@fanaticsbook_pb) February 28, 2023
The deal had been rumored for days, but concerns about a hip injury for Kane were reportedly holding up the trade. A native of Buffalo, New York, Kane will be reunited with former Blackhawks teammate Artemi Panarin, who he won a championship with in 2015 and was opposite him in 2016 when he won MVP.
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