NHL Rumors: Is Patrick Kane destined for either the Rangers or Islanders?
Anthony Scultore
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Every year, there is at least one superstar in the NHL Rumors mill that gets incredible attention. For awhile, it was Jack Eichel before he was finally traded to the Vegas Golden Knights. Today, all that focus is squarely on Patrick Kane.
Rumblings began last season as the NHL Trade Deadline approached. According to the rumors, both the Colorado Avalanche and New York Rangers placed phone calls. They along with other teams touched base to say when Kane was ready to be moved to let them know.
This offseason, speculation ramped up again with some buzz that Kane had visited the New York area over the summer. In order to settle things down, both the Blackhawks and Kane dismissed the trade talk before the new season started.
“Like I said before, it’s not really something I’ve thought of or anything I’m thinking about right now,” Kane told The Athletic (subscription required). “It’s just a lot of noise right now. It was just all rumors. I don’t think there was really any legitimate discussions between any team or the Blackhawks, as far as I know.”
NHL Rumors: Patrick Kane, Islanders or Rangers?
Kane, 33, has one year left on a deal that hits the cap at $10.5 million. He registered 92 points in 76 games last season and will return a haul of picks and prospects when he’s ready to waive his full no-move clause.
Insider Pierre LeBrun mentioned in a recent TSN Insider Trading that either the New York Rangers or the New York Islanders would be teams to consider when Kane is eventually moved.
Elliotte Friedman also fueled speculation with where he believes Kane will land on a recent 32 Thoughts Podcast.
“Until proven otherwise I thing the Rangers are the most likely destination,” Elliotte Friedman said. “Although there’s a lot of variables. We’ve said for months that Kane is going to sit around and see he’s good. If the Rangers are good I can see them being the team.”
The latest buzz comes from Mark Lazerus, who covers the Hawks for The Athletic. He doubled down on the Rangers and Islanders speculation when providing a prediction on how the Hawks situation with Kane and Toews would play out.
As for Kane, I may be alone on this, but I really believe he’s looking for a reason to stay. He wants to be a Blackhawks lifer. Kyle Davidson would probably prefer to trade him for a first-round pick and more, but Kane holds all the cards. And while playing alongside Artemi Panarin or Mathew Barzal would be greatly appealing to him, in the end, Chicago is home.
Mark Lazerus, The Athletic (Subscription Required)
Another interesting note is Lazerus believes Jonathan Toews will be traded before Kane. He specifically cites the Colorado Avalanche as a team that would have interest in the Blackhawks captain for center depth in the playoffs.
Toews, 34, totaled 37 points (12 goals, 25 assists) in 71 games last season and like Kane is in the final year of his contract with a $10.5 million AAV.
The three-time Stanley Cup champion has 852 points (357 goals, 495 assists) in 1,014 career games since the Blackhawks selected him with the third overall pick of the 2006 NHL Draft.
Another team that could be a sleeper to land either Toews or Kane are the Edmonton Oilers. They feel like a Stanley Cup is just one more key piece away after signing Jack Campbell to be their number one goalie.
It’s scary to think what Connor McDavid or Leon Draisaitl could do with Kane on the wing. In the same breath, adding Toews would make them the deepest team at center come the postseason.
