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IMPACT OF KANE TRADE ON RANGERS
The New York Rangers acquired right wing Patrick Kane from the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday, making him an elite fantasy option again and further boosting their Stanley Cup futures appeal.
Kane should be considered the Rangers' top-ranked fantasy player and among the 20 best overall options for the rest of the season. New York now has five of the top 25 overall players in NHL.com's rankings after the trade with Kane joining goalie Igor Shesterkin, left wing Artemi Panarin, center Mika Zibanejad and defenseman Adam Fox.
LINEUP NOTE: Kane did not play at the Philadelphia Flyers on Wednesday but is expected to make his Rangers debut against the Ottawa Senators on Thursday.
Kane reunites with Panarin; they played on the same line for the Blackhawks in each of Panarin's first two NHL seasons. Kane led the NHL in points (106) and won the Hart Trophy voted the League's most valuable player in 2015-16, while his linemate Panarin won the Calder Trophy (77 points in 80 games) voted the top rookie that season. Kane's second 100-point season came in 2018-19 (NHL career-high 110).
This is the second major trade this season for New York, which acquired another right wing in Vladimir Tarasenko from the St. Louis Blues on Feb. 9. Kane will complete a potent top-six forward group and should elevate the fantasy value of his linemates, whether his center is Zibanejad or Vincent Trocheck and his left wing is Panarin or Chris Kreider.
Since entering the NHL in 2007-08, Kane ranks third in points (1,225 in 1,161 games) behind Alex Ovechkin (1,269 in 1,168 games) of the Washington Capitals and Sidney Crosby (1,258 in 1,007 games) of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Kane is also among the NHL leaders in goals (446; fourth), even-strength points (826; second), power-play points (398; fifth) and shots on goal (3,866; second) over that span.
RELATED: [Kane traded to Rangers by Blackhawks | 2022-23 NHL Trade Tracker]
The 34-year-old had his third-best point total last season (92) despite the Blackhawks missing the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the second straight season. He has 45 points (16 goals, 29 assists) in 54 games this season, including 10 points (seven goals, three assists) over his final four games played with Chicago. He should have a much-improved plus/minus (minus-23 this season; minus-19 last season) with the Rangers and benefit his new elite teammates in Fox, who won the Norris Trophy voted the NHL's top defenseman in 2021, and Shesterkin, who won the Vezina Trophy voted the League's top goalie last season.
The Kane trade should give the Rangers one of the best offenses in the NHL; they rank 11th in the NHL in goals per game (3.30) and power-play percentage (22.7). The three-time Stanley Cup champion improves New York's chances of winning its first title since 1994; Kane is nearly a point-per-game player (132 points in 136 games; fifth among active players) in his postseason career and won the Conn Smythe Trophy voted most valuable player of the 2013 playoffs.
The move also continues the arms race in the Eastern Conference, Metropolitan Division and among the New York-area teams; the New Jersey Devils acquired forward Timo Meier on Sunday, the Toronto Maple Leafs acquired forward Ryan O'Reilly on Feb. 17 and the New York Islanders acquired forward Bo Horvat on Jan. 30.
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