Patrick Kane Trade Fallout: Reactions, Statements, History, More
So… how was your Tuesday? Mine was okay. Got a couple hours of sleep after a late-night loss in Anaheim, got the kids to school, Patrick Kane got traded to the Rangers, watched my middle son play his regular season basketball finale… pretty standard final day of February stuff.
- Kaner said goodbye on Twitter. Yes, there were tears in my house. None of my three sons have ever known the Chicago Blackhawks without Kane or Jonathan Toews on the roster, so this was hard on them.
- I really have to tip my cap to the crew at NBC Sports Chicago because they absolutely poured one out for 88 with their tribute montage for the pregame show. If this one doesn’t stir up the dust wherever you watch it, I don’t know if you’re a Blackhawks fan.
- The Blackhawks tweeted their thanks to Kane for almost 1,300 ridiculous games. Kane was must-see TV for most of his NHL career in Chicago.
- Patrick jumped into the mix and shared his reflections on Kane’s impact on his life as a Blackhawks fan. Like so many of us, who he was with and where he was when the Blackhawks won three championships will be lasting memories. He nailed this one. Give it a read!
- According to Dan Rosen of NHL.com, Kane will make his Rangers debut on Thursday night at Madison Square Garden — against Alex DeBrincat and the Ottawa Senators. I, too, am a wreck now. Good luck getting tickets to that game, because the Rangers were ready with their graphics department putting in hard work to welcome 88 to MSG.
- At least one Rangers player is going to be a little starstruck. Alexis Lafrenière, who was the No. 1 overall pick 13 years after Kane was, apparently named 88 as his favorite player growing up. So that’ll be cool for the kid.
- Danny Wirtz also shared his thanks for Kane’s contributions to the franchise.
“The contributions Patrick Kane has made to the Blackhawks organization and city of Chicago will never be forgotten. While today marks the end of an era for the team, he will forever be a part of the Blackhawks family. Three Stanley Cups, over 1,000 games, more than 1,200 points, over 400 goals and countless awards are just part of the legacy he leaves here—one of the greatest Blackhawks players in club history. On behalf of Rocky, and my entire family, we wish Patrick, Amanda, Patrick III, and the rest of his family all the best with the New York Rangers and we thank him for the countless joyful memories.
As we close Patrick’s chapter in club history, we look forward to what will be another exciting era. We have full faith and trust in Kyle Davidson and his team to showcase their future vision for this team. We share this continued journey with our loyal fans and forever appreciate their support.”
- Here’s the statement from general manager Kyle Davidson:
“Patrick Kane leaves the Blackhawks with a legacy that will be hard to match. We all love Patrick and the memories he provided our fans and our organization for 16 seasons. He and his representatives were great to work through during this process—I really appreciate the exemplary open communication we had—and we wish him well with the New York Rangers. I knew from day one of taking this job that there would be some tough days and today was one of the toughest.
Our goal from day one is to achieve sustained success throughout all levels of the organization and that goal remains. I appreciate the continued support of team leadership and I look forward to leading the Blackhawks into this next era on the ice.”
- Our friends at Obvious Shirts have a Kaner special edition now available as well, FYI.
But… How’d the Blackhawks Do?
- Matt Larkin at Daily Faceoff analyzed the Kane trade on Tuesday afternoon, and his comments are pretty much on par with what I wrote about the deal. Davidson had no leverage and took what he could get for a player who has had an up-and-down-and-up year offensively. Larkin gave the Blackhawks a C for the trade.
It’s an adequate return if we acknowledge that Davidson’s hands were tied. And he has done right by his star, sending him to a market that appealed to him, where he can pursue another championship. But that doesn’t mean we have to like the return.
- Greg Wyshynski at ESPN gave the Blackhawks a B for the trade, reminding us that: “There’s still a chance the Blackhawks could end up with a first-round pick for Kane, which was the minimum many Hawks fans were hoping to see as the return.”
