Chicago Blackhawks

The New York Rangers already made a splash ahead of the NHL's March 3 trade deadline by acquiring Vladimir Tarasenko from the St. Louis Blues, but it appears they still haven't ruled out bringing "Showtime" to Broadway.

The Blueshirts "have signaled they will try to make" a deal for Chicago Blackhawks star Patrick Kane work if he is willing to waive his no-movement clause to head to New York, per Larry Brooks of the New York Post.

"We are told interest has not waned in the least since the acquisition of Vladimir Tarasenko from St. Louis on Feb. 10," Brooks wrote.

Kane, who is in the final season of an eight-year, $84 million contract, still hasn't informed the Blackhawks whether he would like to be traded or not.

The three-time Stanley Cup winner has been viewed as a trade candidate since the offseason when Chicago indicated it would be entering a rebuild following the deals that sent Kirby Dach and Alex DeBrincat to the Montreal Canadiens and Ottawa Senators, respectively, for draft picks.

Kane admitted earlier this month following the Tarasenko deal that he was disappointed by the move, adding that the Rangers were "definitely" a team he was paying attention to and was "intrigued by" should he decide to waive his no-move clause.

"If things were going to happen, that was a team I was definitely looking at," Kane said of the Rangers. "It seems like they kind of filled their void and went ahead and made a deal, so it is what it is."

It's somewhat of a surprise that the Rangers are still in on Kane, especially after ESPN's Emily Kaplan reported earlier this month that the franchise went after Tarasenko over the Blackhawks star and San Jose Sharks forward Timo Meier because it felt the asking prices for both players were too high.

Kaplan also reported the Rangers expressed concerns over Kane's hip injury.

However, the star winger told reporters earlier this month that he believes his hip aliment has been overblown.

"Yeah, I think so. I'm not sure what the story is to be honest with you, but I feel better than I did last year," he said. "It's just one of those things that maybe the story leaks out and it piles up a little bit."

There's no denying the impact Kane would have on Broadway alongside the likes of Tarasenko, Artemi Panarin, Mika Zibanejad and Adam Fox.

If the 34-year-old is dealing with a hip ailment, it hasn't slowed him much as he's notched 16 goals and 29 assists for 45 points in 54 games. He's been particularly potent following the All-Star break, tallying seven goals and four assists for 11 points in nine games.

If the Rangers swing a deal for Kane, they'll become one of the favorites to come out of the Eastern Conference once the playoffs begin this spring. The team currently sits third in the Metropolitan Division with a 33-15-9 record and are just four points back of the second-place New Jersey Devils.

Patrick Kane getting traded to the New York Rangers may be a long shot at this point, but it reportedly isn't completely out of the question.

ESPN's Emily Kaplan wrote: "I believe he has asked to explore whether going to the Rangers is still an option. It's not impossible, but it would require serious maneuvering."

Kaplan also noted that Kane had been eager to join the Rangers if he was ultimately traded by the Chicago Blackhawks:

Based on conversations I've had with sources around the league, the behind-the-scenes talks with the Rangers were more advanced than have been reported. There was a path for Kane going to New York, his preferred destination should he leave Chicago, and then suddenly it felt as if it was taken away—which is why you saw him react so vulnerably to the Vladimir Tarasenko trade.

The Rangers traded Sammy Blais, Hunter Skinner, a 2023 conditional first-round pick and a 2024 fourth-rounder to the St. Louis Blues for Tarasenko and Niko Mikkola. And Kane publicly spoke about his disappointment in learning of that trade.

"It's not like the happiest I've been to hear about a trade," he told reporters on Feb. 10. "I think the Rangers are a team that you definitely pay attention to and definitely are intrigued by, for obvious reasons."

"If things were going to happen, that was a team I was definitely looking at," he added. "It seems like they kind of filled their void and went ahead and made a deal, so it is what it is."

Both Kane and Tarasenko play on the right wing, with Kane posting 42 points in 53 games this season and Tarasenko scoring 33 points in 44 total games.

Any change of address for Kane, even if it isn't the Rangers, would be a first. The 34-year-old has spent his entire 16-year career in Chicago, winning three Stanley Cup titles with the team. He's become a fixture of the franchise alongside the likes of Jonathan Toews, though with the team at the bottom of the standings, a move elsewhere this season would make sense.

Whether that's to New York remains to be seen.

Chicago Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson confirmed Sunday that the team wouldn't be trading Jonathan Toews ahead of the Friday, March 3, trade deadline as he deals with symptoms of both long COVID and Chronic Immune Response Syndrome.

Just caught up with Blackhawks GM Kyle Davidson.

He confirmed that with the uncertainty about captain Jonathan Toews health he will not be traded.

— Emily Kaplan (@emilymkaplan) February 19, 2023

It was a joint decision between the player and organization, with Toews releasing the following statement Sunday:

A statement from Captain Jonathan Toews ❤️ pic.twitter.com/tn7CP57bQN

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) February 19, 2023

Toews, 34, hasn't played since Jan. 28. Before his illness sidelined him he had posted 14 goals and 14 assists in 46 games.

Kyle Davidson said the trade deadline is secondary and he just hopes Jonathan Toews can play again this season.

— Scott Powers (@ByScottPowers) February 19, 2023

He also missed the 2020-21 season with chronic immune response syndrome.

"I think there are a lot of things that I piled up and my body fell apart," Towes said in 2021. "... I couldn't quite recover, and my immune system was reacting to everything I did—any kind of stress. Anything I would do throughout the day, it was just always kind of a stress response. So it took some time, and that was the frustrating part, not knowing when or how we were going to get over the hump."

I wasn’t too vocal about the things I went through this year. I appreciate the understanding and support and wanted to share this message on where I’m at. pic.twitter.com/3qgftKki10

— Jonathan Toews (@JonathanToews) June 30, 2021

The likely future Hall of Famer has been a mainstay for the Blackhawks and is one of the most legendary figures in the history of the franchise and Chicago sports in general, winning three Stanley Cup titles with the organization.

Toews has accumulated 371 goals and 509 assists in his career. He'll face a fascinating decision in the offseason, however, when he's eligible to become a free agent. If chasing another title is a priority, he'll likely move on, as the cellar-dwelling Blackhawks have an NHL-worst 39 points this season and don't seem likely to return to contention anytime soon.

So it's possible that Toews has played his last game in Chicago for the Blackhawks. If that's the case, it was a memorable ride for the team's longtime captain.

As the March 3 trade deadline draws nearer, Chicago Blackhawks veteran Patrick Kane is likely nearing the end of his tenure with the franchise, but many are wondering where exactly he'll end up.

Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reported that there are multiple teams that would be interested in acquiring the 34-year-old right winger.

"I think Edmonton's interested, and has reached out. I think Dallas has considered it," Friedman stated. "I've wondered about Vegas, and my belief is Toronto wants to know whether or not it's actually in the mix before considering anything."

Kane has spent his entire career in Chicago after being drafted No. 1 overall in 2007 and he's helped lead the team to three Stanley Cup championships in 2010, 2013 and 2015. He's set to be an unrestricted free agent after this season, as he's in the final year of an eight-year deal that carries a salary cap hit of $10.5 million.

Kane has a no-movement clause in his contract and would need to waive it to facilitate a trade, leaving him in control of his next landing spot. Friedman noted that people who know Kane "are convinced he's still got plenty to offer and badly desires to show it somewhere else."

Unfortunately, Kane's top desired destination was the New York Rangers, but the team opted to acquire right winger Vladimir Tarasenko from the St. Louis Blues last week. Friedman reported that the deal by the Rangers left Kane "stunned," and he openly admitted that he wasn't pleased with the outcome.

"If things were going to happen, that was a team I was definitely looking at," Kane said after practice last Friday. "It seems like they kind of filled their void and went ahead and made a deal. It is what it is"

At this point, it's up to Kane to identify an alternative landing spot. He is one of the best players of his generation, and he can have as many suitors as he desires.

"If Patrick Kane is interested in you, you have to think about it," a general manager told Friedman.

Chicago Blackhawks star Patrick Kane has yet to make a decision about his future with the franchise, but that doesn't mean he's not eyeing potential trade destinations.

If Kane decides he wants to move on from Chicago, he is willing to accept a trade to either the New York Rangers or Toronto Maple Leafs, according to TSN's Carlo Colaiacovo.

Kane admitted to reporters last week that he had his eyes on the Rangers as a possible destination if traded, adding that he was disappointed to hear that they acquired Vladimir Tarasenko from the St. Louis Blues instead.

"It's not like the happiest I've been to hear about a trade," Kane said when asked about the Tarasenko deal. "I think the Rangers are a team that you definitely pay attention to and definitely are intrigued by, for obvious reasons."

New York's decision to trade for Tarasenko doesn't completely eliminate the franchise from making a deal for Kane, but it makes it far less likely to happen, especially with the winger's $10.5 million cap hit.

That said, Kane is in the final year of an eight-year, $84 million contract, so it's possible Chicago would be willing to eat some of his remaining salary to facilitate a trade.

The Rangers have long been a top destination for some of the NHL's elite. Beyond playing at the world's most famous arena in Madison Square Garden, the team is perennially competitive and gives players the chance to compete for hockey's most coveted trophy—the Stanley Cup.

The Rangers currently sit third in the Metropolitan Division with a 31-14-8 record and are just six points behind the first-place Carolina Hurricanes for first in the division. With the team on pace to make the postseason, it's no surprise Kane is eyeing a move to Manhattan.

Toronto, meanwhile, sits second in the Atlantic Division with a 32-14-8 record. Like the Rangers, the Maple Leafs have been competitive in recent seasons, though they've struggled to make it past the first round of the postseason, not having done so since 2004.

It would be more of a challenge for the Maple Leafs to fit Kane under the salary cap. With Auston Matthews, Mitchell Marner and John Tavares each earning $10.9 million or more per season, adding Kane's $10.5 million salary wouldn't be easy, and the Blackhawks would almost surely have to eat some of that money.

Beyond playing for a competitive team in front of some of the best fans in hockey, Toronto might be a desirable destination for Kane given its proximity to Buffalo, New York, where the winger is from.

If Kane does decide to move on from Chicago, it will certainly be interesting to see where he ends up and what kind of package the Blackhawks get in return for him. Kane has a no-move clause in his contract, so he can essentially control where he ends up if moved.

The Blackhawks, which sit last in the Central Division at 16-30-5, signaled they'd be entering a rebuild this summer by trading Alex DeBrincat to the Ottawa Senators and Kirby Dach to the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for draft assets.

If Kane doesn't move on now, he'll likely have to move on from Chicago in free agency this summer anyway.

Patrick Kane still hasn't made a decision regarding his future with the Chicago Blackhawks, but he'd be lying if he said he didn't have his eyes on the New York Rangers before they acquired Vladimir Tarasenko on Thursday.

"It's not like the happiest I've been to hear about a trade," Kane told reporters when asked about the Tarasenko deal. "I think the Rangers are a team that you definitely pay attention to and definitely are intrigued by, for obvious reasons."

Kane also admitted that the Rangers were one of the teams on his radar if he were to request a trade from the Blackhawks. However, the Tarasenko deal essentially eliminates New York as a possible landing spot for the veteran winger.

"If things were going to happen, that was a team I was definitely looking at," Kane said. "It seems like they kind of filled their void and went ahead and made a deal, so it is what it is."

The St. Louis Blues traded Tarasenko and defenseman Niko Mikkola to the Rangers on Thursday in exchange for Sammy Blais, prospect Hunter Skinner, a conditional 2023 first-round pick and a conditional 2024 fourth-round pick.

Tarasenko, who spent the first 11 seasons of his career in St. Louis, requested a trade from the franchise in July 2021. He was reportedly upset with how the Blues handled his multiple shoulder surgeries, which fractured his relationship with the team.

The Blues went on to leave Tarasenko unprotected in the Seattle expansion draft that same month, though he went unclaimed by the Kraken, which instead selected defenseman Vince Dunn.

With Tarasenko in the final year of an eight-year, $60 million contract, there was always a possibility for him to be moved ahead of the NHL's March 3 trade deadline.

Like Tarasenko, Kane is also in the final year of an eight-year, $84 million contract and is a candidate to be moved ahead of the deadline with the Blackhawks gearing up to enter a full-scale rebuild.

Chicago indicated it would be entering a rebuilding period during the 2022 NHL draft when it traded Alex DeBrincat to the Ottawa Senators and Kirby Dach to the Montreal Canadiens for draft picks.

Kane had long been linked to the Rangers. However, New York opted to acquire Tarasenko over Kane and San Jose Sharks forward Timo Meier because it felt the asking prices for both players were too high, per ESPN's Emily Kaplan.

The Rangers also weren't keen on waiting for Kane to make a decision about his future, and they expressed concerns over his hip injury, Kaplan added.

The Athletic's Arthur Staple also wrote in January that it "seems like the whole league knows now that Kane needs hip surgery" and that "if he doesn't shut down the season and get the surgery soon to be ready for free agency and 2023-24, he's going to be damaged goods."

Before the start of the 2021-22 season, Kane confirmed he had been dealing with a nagging, undisclosed injury since before the start of the 2020 playoffs in the Edmonton bubble. He added that he was hoping to get the issue fixed before the 2021-22 campaign began, but that didn't happen.

Kane went on to play 78 games last season and only missed time because of the NHL's COVID-19 health and safety protocols. This season, his injury appeared to resurface in a January matchup against the Sharks, and he later found himself on injured reserve.

Since returning to the Chicago lineup on Jan. 14, Kane hasn't missed any time, but it's clear that his injury is still an issue. That said, he thinks his hip ailment has been overblown.

"Yeah, I think so. I'm not sure what the story is to be honest with you, but I feel better than I did last year," Kane told reporters Thursday. "It's just one of those things that maybe the story leaks out and it piles up a little bit."

If Kane decides he wants a trade before the March 3 deadline, he'll more than likely have numerous suitors despite the ailment. However, he has a full no-trade clause, which means he'll have a say in where he ends up.

Kane would be a valuable addition to any contending team, especially considering he's a three-time Stanley Cup winner. Through 46 games this season, he has notched nine goals and 26 assists for 35 points.

The 34-year-old's situation is going to continue to be a hot topic as we get closer to the deadline, but it's safe to say we can cross the Rangers off the list of possible landing spots.

A 34-year-old Patrick Kane, his potential suitors and the Chicago Blackhawks front office have all found themselves in an interesting predicament as the March 3 trade deadline looms.

Kane told the media Monday that his agent, Pat Brisson, presented a list of teams that have shown interest in trading for him. The career Blackhawks star has significant control over his destiny, with a no-move clause and an apparent list of options—including riding out the final year of his $10.5 million contract in Chicago.

Look, you don't sign your superstar to an eight-year contract banking on the eighth year holding up. You understand that, in many cases, the last year or so ends up as a write-off. That's fine—especially when the team itself is experiencing a rebuild—if said star plans on retiring and riding off into the sunset.

In this case, though, Kane is at least entertaining the idea of one last hurrah elsewhere. As rebuilders, the Blackhawks would obviously love to get something out of it.

Now, in this salary-cap economy, it's almost inevitable that they will have to eat some of Kane's contract for any deal to work. It's still going to be a steep price tag.

It's not every day that teams get an opportunity to trade for someone who has had such an impact on the game for over a decade. Kane's experience, including three Stanley Cups and a Conn Smythe Trophy, would be welcome on any contender.

But that last Cup win was in 2015, and contenders will have to give up significant future assets to the rebuilding Blackhawks for a shot at Kane.

Nostalgia aside, is it worth it? And which team could actually pull off a trade with assets and cap space?

Let's take a look at Kane's performance over the past few seasons, how he'd fit into some of the teams circling the rumor mill and what the price could be.

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Evaluating Kane's Contemporary Play

Kane's only got nine goals and 25 assists for 34 points and a negative-26 rating in 45 games, on pace for a career-worst season by a large margin.

One might assume this is just the product of getting older and the team getting worse, but curiously enough, this hasn't been some sort of steady career-ending decline.

Kane was basically in the Hart Trophy conversation last season with 26 goals and a team-high 92 points in 78 games. He hasn't dropped under a point per game (until now) since 2017-18, and in 2018-19, he hit 44 goals and 110 points.

His underlying metrics have even been good-to-outstanding until the wild dive they've abruptly taken this year. According to NaturalStatTrick.com, his Corsi For percentage is a brutal 40.3, while, his expected goals for percentage is 39.3.

Kane's defense has taken a stark turn this season, too, best represented in these graphs.

"Patrick Kane is still elite, one of the very best players in the world" pic.twitter.com/nUJD21ucLt

— Japers' Rink (@JapersRink) February 2, 2023

Age and general team decline aside, Kane just hasn't been the storied sniper who has always aced our eye tests over the years—a sniper who had the ability to keep sniping despite the team crumbling around him.

What's going on?

Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman had an interesting point regarding what has been the worst year of Kane's career, which has spanned three different decades.

"I was talking to guys that have played against him recently," Friedman said on his 32 Thoughts podcast (around the 47:12 mark) on Feb. 6. "They can see he's really gutting it out, and he's not 100 percent. What this one player said to me is that you can tell he's not Patrick Kane, but he really praised him for the effort."

A few insiders, including The Athletic's Arthur Staple, have indicated injury troubles. "Seems like the whole league knows now that Kane needs hip surgery," Staple wrote with his trademark bluntness.

Kane was on IR in January with a nagging hip issue, which teams interested in him have inquired about, according to Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times.

There have been reports of interested teams worrying about Kane’s nagging injury slowing him down, but he said he’s not thinking about that when he’s on the ice.

“That’s not really something for me to worry about. I just go about it the best I can.”

— Ben Pope (@BenPopeCST) February 6, 2023

It's a huge concern, although you could argue Kane at 70 percent might still be useful on a team with two specific needs: veteran presence and clutch goal-scoring.

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Where Could He Land?

Let's pretend Kane has completely waived his no-trade clause, and all contenders are on the table.

The Rangers might have the best potential return for the Blackhawks with their two 2023 first-round picks, or they could give up a first and a second and still have one first. Truthfully, I'm not a fan of this for a young team that has a solid decade of potential ahead of it and has been fun but slightly inconsistent this year.

Hold off, Rangers.

Next, we've got the Bruins, who already have a depleted prospect pool and not much to offer on the draft pick front (nor should they, considering the first dilemma). I absolutely hate the idea of them giving up Jake DeBrusk, who has had an emotional, bounce-back year under coach Jim Montgomery. DeBrusk is scoring more than Kane as it is, and the team is clearly doing just fine.

Sometimes it's OK to opt for a low-key deadline move, especially with the team you already have. Looking at you, GM Don Sweeney.

Next, we've got the Hurricanes, a situation that has me more on the fence than the previous two. They've shaken things up more than usual these last few trade deadlines as the team has entered its Cup window, they need a replacement for Max Pacioretty, and they've been looking for an elite sniper for the past few years.

My gut still says no, though, knowing the analytics geniuses in that front office and knowing their philosophy tends to favor franchise longevity over flashy moves. I have trouble justifying a return like Seth Jarvis or Martin Nečas, considering Kane's age and contract status. Timo Meier feels like a more natural fit.

I could keep going down the list of potential suitors, but the same issue remains: There's serious concern about the juice-to-squeeze ratio of any deal. However, with the injury information out in the open, suitors might find more leverage than expected with salary retention.

Then my mind wanders to one team: The Buffalo Sabres. They have the longest playoff drought in the league by far, but they're on pace for a fun, Cinderella-style return this season. Kane might agree (and put his entire heart in) into a hometown run. Buffalo was ranked No. 1 by The Athletic's Corey Pronman in his Prospect Pipeline Rankings and certainly has the young assets that could easily land Kane.

So how does this saga end? The magic eight ball is a little hazy at the moment. One thing is for sure: It's going to be fascinating to see how it eventually plays out.