The New York Rangers will have a new look, roster wise, heading into next season. General manager Chris Drury spent this offseason retooling the team and bringing in more players to help bring them back into playoff contention. His main focus was building up the defensive depth, which he did so by acquiring Sean Durzi and Marcus Pettersson in tradees, while getting a legitimate goal scorer in Pavel Dorofeyev.
Even with their offseason additions, they still need some more forward depth, especially in the middle six. There are still plenty of names for the Rangers to choose, including some big names. However, some new intel indicates that the fanbase shouldn't count on a reunion with one of the big free agents left.
The Athletic's Vince Mercogliano went through some forward options that could be realistic targets for the Rangers this offseason. When bringing up Patrick Kane, Mercogliano says he just doesn't see that happening.
"I’ve lost count of how many Rangers fans have asked about a reunion with Patrick Kane, whose New York tenure was short-lived and marred by a hip injury that required surgery. I don’t want to burst anyone’s bubble, but I’d consider that a long shot," writes Mercogliano.
Patrick Kane reunion with Rangers viewed as a long shot
Besides this intel, there has been recent updates regarding Kane's free agency. Near the start of free agency, there was speculation that he would sign with the Buffalo Sabres, his hometown team. However, nothing has transpired. Then, Hall of Famer Chris Chelios revealed in a recent radio interview on the Score 670 that Kane is choosing between the Sabres and his former team, the Chicago Blackhawks, in his free agency. It makes sense that Kane would either want to play in his hometown or return to Chicago for another run before his career reaches an end.
There you have it, the Rangers aren't really much of a contender for Kane regardless.
Back in 2023, the Rangers went all out to try and build a legitimate Stanley Cup contender at the trade deadline. They brought in Kane, which made it wild to see him wear anything but a Blackhawks uniform. At that same trade deadline, the Rangers also acquired longtime St. Louis Blues star Vladimir Tarasenko. The thing is, when the Rangers brought in Kane, he was dealing with a hip injury that needed surgery.
In 19 games, Kane scored five goals and recorded seven assists in the regular season. Kane scored one goal and dished out five assists in seven games, which all took place in the first round, which saw the New Jersey Devils eliminate them. Kane underwent offseason hip surgery, and he signed with the Detroit Red Wings that November.
If the Rangers do bring in a forward, don't expect it to be Kane.
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