Reviewing the Four 2023 Rangers NHL Trade Deadline Additions
By Conor Power
The Chicago Blackhawks Trade
After the Rangers acquired a top-six winger from the St Louis Blues, there was a disappointed player for the Chicago Blackhawks who thought he was going to come home to New York and play for a team that has a chance to win the Stanley Cup. It just so happened that this player is probably the best American-born player of all time, Patrick Kane. When that came out, the rumors started circulating immediately.
The New York Rangers did not have enough cap space for Patrick Kane even half retained from the Chicago Blackhawks, so the Blueshirts had to pay for a middleman. It’s why the Arizona Coyotes were involved, they are the NHL’s equivalent of an off-shore bank account in the Virgin Islands. When you need something cheaper, you funnel it through Arizona. They gave up a 3rd round pick for that retention of $2.625 million.
The 2023 2nd they gave up was supposed to become a 1st round pick if the Rangers made it to the Eastern Conference Finals. This was not the case as the team fell flat on its face so it will remain a 2nd round pick. It means New York keeps its own first-round pick after giving up the Dallas pick to St Louis. It’s a small inclusion, but it’s a good move from Chris Drury to put a safety valve on a deal like this.
For those that are wondering who Cooper Zech is, don’t worry. He’s a minor leaguer that had to be included in this deal for the collective bargaining agreement to allow Patrick Kane to come to Manhattan after being moved through Arizona. Everyone needs to acquire something from everyone else in a multiteam deal and Zech is just filling that for Chicago since Kane was technically coming from Arizona.
As for Kane himself, he was utterly disappointing as a Ranger. A complete ghost in the playoffs despite the Rangers needing him desperately, the newest addition to the Blueshirts roster was unable to get any foothold providing just a single goal. He had five assists but the majority of that came in games one and two when the Rangers were crushing the New Jersey Devils.