The March third trade deadline will finally answer the questions regarding Patrick Kane's future. TSN NHL Insider Darren Dreger reports what the Blackhawks would like in return for Kane if he is traded to the New York Rangers.
In return for Kane, Chicago would like either 2020 first overall pick Alexis Lafreniere or 2019 second overall pick Kaapo Kakko as the focal point in the trade. In some cases, teams might be hesitant to trade away such highly valued picks. However both Lafreniere and Kakko have not progressed into the star players the Rangers had hoped for, at least not yet.
This deal all starts with what Patrick Kane wants to do. He holds all the cards and has a no trade clause in his contract, so he gets the final say here. Even if he agrees to New York, do the Rangers think this a reasonable asking price? Is Kane even healthy enough to be a part of a major trade? We'll have to wait and see.
I'm sure they'd love to have Kane matched up with his former teammate Artemi Panarin. The two were dynamic when they played together for Chicago. The Rangers have to know that Kane is now thirty-four and probably not the elite player we was several seasons ago, but still a notable addition to their roster.
Look for the rumours to persist about Patrick Kane as we get close to the March 3rd deadline. It is now less than five weeks away.