How soon can Patrick Kane join the New York Rangers
The Chicago Blackhawks announced on Saturday that forwards Patrick Kane and Sam Lafferty would not play against the San Jose Sharks due to “roster management.” Each is considered a trade bait candidate for the NHL Trade Deadline on March 3.
“Based on the current status of Patrick’s situation, we collectively felt it was more appropriate to have him not play during this period of reflection,” Kane’s agent Pat Brisson told Pierre LeBrun.
Multiple reports followed that Kane returned home to Chicago as the New York Rangers continue to work on fitting him under the cap ceiling.
“He was with the team, but as of today he’s flown back to Chicago just until the situation rectifies itself either way,” coach Luke Richardson confirmed.
Kane, 34, has 16 goals and 45 points in 54 games. He’ll be a UFA in July.
Lafferty, 27, has 10 goals and 21 points in 51 games. He has one more year remaining at $1.15 million.
How soon can Patrick Kane join Rangers?
As Kane sits home, the Rangers are diligently working to get a deal done. That started with placing forward Jake Leschyshyn on waivers and trading Vitali Kravtsov to the Vancouver Canucks for forward Will Lockwood and a seventh-round draft pick in 2026.
Kravtsov made $875,000 and Jake Leschyshyn earns $766,667 for a total of $1.641 million that will be cleared from their cap.
Yesterday, defenseman Ryan Lindgren was injured in the Rangers 6-3 loss to the Washington Capitals. Per PuckPedia, once Leschyshyn clears, they could acquire Kane at 75% retained (need a third party) by March 1. If Lindgren goes on LTIR, it could be as soon as today.
“The thing here that really stands out is the Rangers have begun the moves to clear the cap… these were moves that people suspected the Rangers wouldn’t make unless they knew it was heading in this direction,” Elliotte Friedman said late yesterday.
“I don’t think the Rangers were in position to make this move for cap reasons until Tuesday. However, unfortunately Ryan Lindgren was injured [on Saturday]. If he has to go on LTIR, they could potentially do this as soon as [Sunday]. We will see how this all plays out, but the motions look to be Kane, the Rangers, and Blackhawks are working on something.”
The media in Chicago is already preparing fans for what’s expected to be a light return for the three-time Stanley Cup champion with 1,161 career points. Thanks to his full no-move clause and the desire to waive it for only the Rangers, they will take what they can get.
The Hawks were seeking at least a first-round pick for Kane but Rangers GM Chris Drury is unwilling to part with it. However, if Lafferty is somehow included in this trade, the Rangers will have no issue including a first-rounder.
Based on all information available, Zac Jones was believed to be part of the deal. With the injury to Lindgren it’s possible he’s been removed from the equation. Aside from draft picks, the Rangers are likely to make available Libor Hajek, Bobby Trivigno, and Lauri Pajuniemi. Prospect wise, Ryder Korczak is a name that makes sense.
As we mentioned on February 22, highly touted prospect Brennan Othmann is not believed to be available in any trade. The same is likely for Will Cuylle, Adam Sykora, and Bryce McConnell-Barker.
Note: This article first appeared at The Daily Goal Horn and has been updated to include the latest information.
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