After 16 seasons with the Chicago Blackhawks, winger Patrick Kane moves to the New York Rangers.
The Blackhawks acquire a 2023 second-round pick — who could become a 2024 or 2025 first-round pick if the Rangers advance to the conference final — and a 2025 fourth-round pick back from the attacker.
The Arizona Coyotes are part of the trade to absorb a portion of Kane’s contract, which is $10.5 million below the salary cap and expires at the end of the season. The Blackhawks withhold 50% of Kane’s salary, and the Coyotes withhold 25%, leaving the Rangers with only 25% of the contract.
Kane therefore lifted his non-movement clause to join Rangers. According to reports that have been circulating for several weeks, Rangers were the only team Kane wanted to be traded to.
“This decision puts me in the best position to win the Stanley Cup again,” Kane said. I look forward to this new step in my career. »
“I think Patrick realized we were the right destination for him and he’s the right player for us,” Rangers general manager Chris Drury said. We were happy that he wanted to be traded and wanted to join Rangers. »
Kane played in 1,161 season games for the Blackhawks. The American also helped the Chicago club win the Stanley Cup in 2010, 2013 and 2015. He and his faithful sidekick Jonathan Toews were the only two remaining members of the last victorious edition of the Blackhawks.
His 446 goals and 779 assists for a total of 1225 points allowed Kane to take possession of the fourth rank of American scorers in the league.
In New York, he will reconnect with his former teammate Artemi Panarin. The Russian played his first two NHL seasons in Chicago and had Kane as his main line partner. In the first of those two seasons, Kane had set a career high with 46 goals.
The Maple Leafs are racing
Did NHL general managers believe the trade deadline was this Tuesday and not Friday? The league caught fire in the afternoon, especially after the Toronto Maple Leafs opened the valves.
GM Kyle Dubas definitely does not want to be a spectator in an Eastern Association that is more competitive than ever. The CEO carried out three transactions in quick succession. He first sent young defenseman Rasmus Sandin to the Washington Capitals in return for Erik Gustafsson and a first-round pick, which the Caps had previously acquired from the Bruins.
Gustafsson, whom Canadiens fans had known during the 2021 playoffs, experienced a real renaissance in Washington. After 61 games, he has already accumulated 38 points, including 11 on the power play.
Dubas then grabbed Luke Schenn of the Vancouver Canucks for a third-round pick, then shipped forward Pierre Engvall to the Islanders from there as well for a third-round pick. Engvall, 26, will become an unrestricted free agent next summer and clearly didn’t fit into the Leafs’ plans anymore. After those personnel moves, and adding those from last week, the Torontonians have now added six skaters, including three defensemen, to their roster in just days.
One of the main catches of the day, however, goes to the Edmonton Oilers. These got Mattias Ekholm of the Nashville Predators. In return, they traded defenseman Tyson Barrie, a first-round pick in the next draft, a fourth-round pick, and forward Reid Schaefer, a 2022 first-round pick.
“I am super, super enthusiastic, mentioned Ekholm, in videoconference. I had 12 great years in Nashville, had two kids here. It was great. But for the next step in my career, I feel Edmonton is the right place for me. »
Ekholm will have an undeniable stabilizing effect on the Oilers’ defense, deemed wobbly. As for the Predators, they no longer hide the reconstruction that is beginning there. They have already parted ways with Nino Niederreiter and Tanner Jeannot over the past few days.
In a less colorful transaction, the Minnesota Wild repatriated Marcus Johansson, who previously played with the Washington Capitals. This is his second stay in this organization.
The Wild also acquired forward Gustav Nyquist from the Columbus Blue Jackets for a 2023 fifth-round pick.
Earlier in the day, the Oilers traded Jesse Puljujarvi to the Hurricanes for 22-year-old prospect Patrik Puistola, also from Finland, who has never played in the NHL.
Puljujarvi, 24, has four goals and nine assists in 58 games this season with the Oilers. He never lived up to the Oilers’ expectations after they selected him fourth overall in the 2016 NHL Draft. He finished his time in Alberta with 51 goals and 61 assists in 317 regular-season games.