The NHL trade deadline is less than three months away, and Patrick Kane will likely be traded from the Chicago Blackhawks at the NHL trade deadline this year. He has an expiring contract with Chicago, and has a $10.5 million cap on teams that sign him.
There has to be some agreement with the salary cap if teams do this for the remainder of the season. He is 34 years old. Have the Chicago Blackhawks chip away at more pieces at this season’s NHL trade deadline. Who are some of the teams that can trade for him?
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins have been linked with the acquisition of Patrick Kane for some time now. They are trying to achieve the last Stanley Cup title in the Sidney Crosby-Evgeni Malkin-Chris Letang era. Kane will provide an extra push to the top 6, someone will be moved to the bottom 6, and he will provide more depth to this hockey team.
Pittsburgh relies heavily on a one-liner with Sidney Crosby, Jake Guentzel, and Rickard Raquel. Jason Zucker or Brian Rast would move to the third line with the addition of Patrick Kane, which wouldn’t be a bad thing for the Penguins. It will provide another power play scorer.
The only problem is that Pittsburgh is very tight-lipped about the salary cap. They’ll have to trade players like Kasperi Kapanen and Brian Dumoulin, who together gobble up a whopping $7.2 million. They can ask Chicago to hold another $2.8 million, and then maybe we’ll talk about a potential trade and add another prospect and draft pick into the deal.
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers have also been linked to Patrick Kane for some time. New York needs this superstar at Madison Square Garden to keep up with the likes of Chris Kreider, Mika Zibanijad, and Artemy Panarin. The Rangers struggled 5v5 but were lethal in the power play again.
Patrick Kane will instantly improve their 5-on-5 play, and their power play will become even more dangerous for this hockey team. Having Adam Fox on the backside helps this hockey team as he mostly dictates the game to the blue line.
Kane in a New York Rangers jersey will be a huge hit in the city. Many fans will love it, and many people will buy it. It may be the only move that puts them at the top in the elite Eastern Conference, where they play in a very tough division. Chicago will probably ask for one of their young players like Kappo Kakko or Filip Chytil, and New York will have to ask them to get some salary and give them draft picks and prospects.
Carolina Hurricanes
This is the only hockey team that can use it. Carolina has all the players, prospects, and draft picks necessary to make a move for Patrick Kane. The Hurricanes are missing that veteran presence in the playoffs inside the locker room to get them over the top. Kane will be the Carolina game-changer for this franchise trying to win a Stanley Cup title this season.
Sebastian Aho, Andrei Svitchnikov, Tevo Tervainen, and Brady Skje are some of the key players for the Carolina Hurricanes. Patrick Kane will make this squad even more substantial. A player like Jesperi Kotkaniemi, Marty Necas, or Seth Jarvis should be one of the pieces dealt because Chicago probably wants a player of NHL caliber, along with other prospects and a draft pick.
The Carolina Hurricanes also want the Chicago Blackhawks to keep some of that salary. It will be interesting to see if they pull the trigger. Carolina should take advantage of the championship window.
Other teams that could make a deal are the New Jersey Devils, New York Islanders, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Los Angeles Kings.
