Earlier this season, we took a look at the much-speculated front runners for Patrick Kane’s services in the New York Rangers.
That was before the puck had even dropped on the 2022-2023 NHL season. A few things have changed since then. The Chicago Blackhawks are trending downward toward another playoff-less spring.
The Rangers have trended downward and underperformed as well. The Rangers are good enough to rebound and should be a playoff team. Did their less-than-spectacular showing through the first quarter of the season hurt their chances at Patrick Kane?
While it might not have increased their chances, Kane to New York would still make a lot of sense. Just about two weeks ago Elliotte Friedman himself predicted Kane would be headed to the Big Apple come trade deadline time.
A Rangers trade for Patrick Kane still makes a lot of sense.
If Kane is expected to waive his no-trade clause to go to a contender, why would he go to a team currently not in a playoff spot as the calendar turns to December?
Let’s get the obvious reason out of the room that New York is still a highly sought-after trade destination. Friedman pointed that out. Even if Chicago is an “Original Six” franchise, the Rangers remain the NHL’s prized American asset. Plus there are two things that work in Kane’s favor.
First, he’ll be closer to his hometown of Buffalo. New York City may be far from Western New York, but it’s closer than Chicago and close enough for Kane to kick the tires on somewhere in the Empire State being his next destination come free agency.
Second, the Rangers are trying to make the playoffs. The New York Rangers see themselves as too important, for lack of a better word, to miss the playoffs. They’ll do whatever it takes to make the playoffs. Ownership and fans expect nothing less after last season’s Eastern Conference Final run.
Kane’s current team of Chicago isn’t even trying to make the playoffs. Chicago fans don’t expect them to make the playoffs. Chicago fans are most likely already asking the team store if and when Connor Bedard jerseys go for sale.
The Rangers might not be the best chance for a Cup, but it at least is a chance for a Cup, and that’s more than what’s being offered in the Windy City.
The reason we’re convinced this trade could still work is that Kane fits the Rangers’ biggest need in a top-tier right winger. Vitali Kravtsov has been in and out of the lineup with injury and may be headed to the AHL on a conditioning loan.
The current top-line right winger is Jimmy Vesey, who was signed from a PTO and never meant to play anything more than a bottom-sixth depth role. Adding Kane immediately changes the dynamic of what should be a loaded forward group in the top six.
Every team would want Kane, but he’d fit right into the Rangers like a Lego piece.
Not to mention, another reason the Rangers have underperformed is their power play not reaching the heights it did last season when it was relied on so heavily. Dan Rosen pointed this out in his latest NHL Mailbag segment, just like we did in our article on the Rangers’ early-season struggles.
Imagine how lethal a top power play unit with the likes of Kane, Chris Kreider, and Artemi Panarin could be. The seemingly so simple addition of Kane could immediately fix two of New York’s biggest problems.
In our earlier hypothetical Kane to New York trade piece, we speculated Kravtsov and Kaapo Kakko could be a part of the trade package going the other way. Obviously, that’s not enough.
Kravtsov’s value has declined with his recent injury history, and Kakko’s value is still less than the Rangers would want it to be for a former second-overall pick.
Even if the two former players chosen in the top ten overall are destined for the city of the deep dish pizza, expect multiple high-round picks to be sent as well.