Trade Grades: Patrick Kane Is A Ranger
Showtime in Madison Square Garden! That’s right… Patrick Kane is the newest member of the New York Rangers after being acquired via trade from the Chicago Blackhawks. While the Kane deal felt inevitable over the course of this past week, it’s time to talk about who won the trade. Trade grades are incoming!
New York Rangers Acquire Patrick Kane
Grade: A
I’m not going to call it a total home run but it feels pretty close. Kane isn’t the player that he once was but he also probably doesn’t need to be. Don’t get me wrong, Kane is flawed and there’s no denying he’s compromised at this point.
With that being said, this feels like a trade that may have swung the Stanley Cup. Kane doesn’t guarantee a Stanley Cup but this top six forward group is now loaded. The defensive structure is already in place and how many goalies would you rather have than Igor Shesterkin? We’re talking about instant offense to a team that already had Zibanejad, Panarin, Kreider, Trocheck, and Tarasenko. How much better does it get? The Rangers might also have the best defenseman in the sport in Adam Fox.
What did New York really give up here to add a player like Kane who’s going to put the puck in the back of the net? A conditional second round pick that turns into a first if the Rangers advance deep into the playoffs. That and a 4th round pick. For a future Hall of Famer? This is what it’s all about. Swipe right.
Chicago Blackhawks Acquire Conditional 2023 2nd and 4th round picks
Grade C-
The return stinks but the Blackhawks didn’t have a lot of leverage here either. Kane had a full no-move clause and likely only would have approved a deal to the Rangers. It was either this or nothing. There isn’t really anything else to say about it. The only thing that really matters for Chicago at this point is landing Connor Bedard. We just already know that’s not going to happen given what happened with the Kyle Beach thing. Gary Bettman won’t allow them to have him because of it and we all know it.
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