The Chicago Blackhawks once again have egg on their face in the latest news, sending number 88 Patrick Kane to the Big Apple. Kane will now skate for the Rangers and help the New York sports landscape succeed. If we want something valuable for Kane, we need the Rangers to do well in the post-season because it will turn the conditional 2023 2nd round pick into a first round pick in 2024 or 2025 & let the house choose. Sounds like a Chicago deal selling the cow for a few draft picks with moving parts. The other draft pick is the Rangers 2023 4th round pick that they get for sending their superstar home back to the state of New York, where he was born in Buffalo. Kane is finishing his last year of that long contract he signed several years ago when the Blackhawks dynasty was in full bloom. Kane had to waive his no-trade clause so the deal could materialize. Kane would only play for a few teams which the Rangers held the Blackhawks hostage as they were only game in town. No wonder Chicago is the second city. The Chicago sports landscape is the last city when it comes to being savvy in any kind of deals this town has done. The worst thing about this is it should have never happened as Blackhawks management did this. The Blackhawks could not find the right people to surround Kane for another dynasty run or just being regular staple in the post-season.

Patrick Kane was drafted in 2007 by the Blackhawks in first round number one overall. Kane has worn the Indian head sweater for 16 seasons, has helped the Blackhawks capture three Stanley Cups, and was the main piece of the dynasty. Kane leaves the Blackhawks like a well decorated General retiring from the service to his country. Kane has made 9 All-Star teams. Kane became the first American born hockey player to win two prestigious awards in the NHL as he took home the Hart and the Art Ross trophies. Kane was the youngest U.S player to reach 1,000 regular season points. Kane skated with two U.S Olympic teams. Kane leaves a legacy in a Blackhawks uniform as he trailed only the legend Stan Mikita in total regular season points. Kane had 446 goals in a Blackhawks uniform which is good for number three trailing Mikita for second who had 541 goals and Bobby Hull who was number one all-time with 604 goals. Kane was third in games played as he skated in 1,161 of them. Kane’s former teammate Duncan Keith is number two with 1,192 games played and of course Stan The Man had the most with 1,396 games on the ice. Kane had 779 assists, racked 1,225 points, and is only 34 years old. He could have had a shot at topping many of the Blackhawks records if he stayed in Chicago the rest of his career. Patrick Kane will and should be the top American born player stat-wise in points by the time he hangs up the skates for good.

The Rangers needed to get their salary cap under the cap with the Patrick Kane deal as they brought in the Arizona Coyotes to help chip in. Coyotes will help pay off some of the remaining balance of Kane’s contract and get a future draft pick not known at this time from the Rangers. Kane will skate once again with former Blackhawk Artemi Panarin. Panarin is one of several young stars the Blackhawks had to get rid of because they invested in many of the wrong guys and for way too long. Panarin played two seasons for the Blackhawks. Panarin skated on the same line with Kane in many of those games when he wore the Indian head sweater. In the 2015-16 season, Panarin had 30 goals with 47 assists which is good for 77 points. That was the year Kane was a force to be reckoned with as he had 46 goals with 60 assists. Then in the 2016-17 season, Panarin had 31 goals while dishing out 43 assists. In the 2016-17 season, Kane had 34 goals with 55 assists. That is a huge production for two guys and most of that damage skating on the same line is amazing. Panarin has to be feeling good to be playing with a former teammate. Why did the Blackhawks get rid of Panarin? Too many bad contracts with high salaries and too many years from players who were unproductive later on in the deal.

Patrick Kane got the love message from Blackhawk ownership about how greatly he will be missed and what he did for the organization. Blah Blah blah. Kane will get in the Hockey Hall of Fame wearing a Blackhawk sweater. The Blackhawks will do their normal thing hanging number 88 from the rafters at the United Center. The organization will probably build Kane a statue of himself and have it displayed outside the United Center. The Chicago way is smoothing things out with legendary players being shipped out of town. I think Al Capone started that when he ran the streets of Chicago. Then we have Jonathan Toews, who’s dealing with some health issues this season and has been out now a few weeks. Toews, the captain, will not be traded. Toews has not been the same for years and he’s in his final year of his contract. The Blackhawks will probably re-sign Toews next season with a cheap one year deal if the Captain still wants to play. Toews is a guy the front office should have traded years ago, but they gave him a no-trade clause too. These deals handcuffed the Blackhawks from keeping younger and talented skaters that are now doing well in the NHL. Guys like Panarin should be in a Blackhawk uniform with Kane giving the Blackhawks a new looking dynasty. Look at the Pittsburgh Penguins who still make the post-season in almost every season and Sid Crosby is still skating there. The Penguins won their cups early on with Sid the Kid like the Blackhawks did with Kane. The Kane’s, the Michael Jordan’s, Frank Thomas’s and Anthony Rizzo’s of Chicago sports should never be wearing another uniform from outside of Chicago. The worst thing about it is not getting anything in return for your Superstar. The Blackhawks should have gotten a boat load of talent back for Kane who’s been on a tear lately. Kane is playing like one of those years the team won the Cup. Leave it to the Blackhawks once again to alienate their fan base as the team is returning back to their former selves in the dark days where the home games were not played on television. Is it too late to sign up and be a Kraken fan?