A source told the Daily Herald that the Blackhawks will trade Patrick Kane to the New York Rangers later today or Wednesday.
“The deal is done,” the source said.
The trade, which has been in the works for days, cannot be completed until Rangers clear enough space to place Kane on their roster.
It’s unclear what the Hawks will receive in return, or if they’ll send any other assets or draft picks to New York.
Kane and Panarin have been waiting nearly six years for this reunion to take place. It was a situation many — including Kane — thought nearly impossible after the Rangers acquired Tarasenko from St. Louis on Feb. 9.
“Not the happiest I’ve heard of a trade,” Kane said after that trade.
Still, Kane’s dream is about to come true and he may be able to make his Rangers debut in Philadelphia on Wednesday.
It’s sure to be a heartwarming reunion when Kane joins his former pal for a nationally televised game in Boston on Saturday.
Now, will coach Gerard Gallant put Panarin with Tarasenko or Kane? The intruder will be on the Rangers second line, likely with Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad.
It’s a team loaded with a ridiculous amount of offense – but that’s not normally how a team lifts the Stanley Cup. It will be interesting to see how disciplined Gallant’s team will be when they protect a lead or even just play into a scoreless tie in the second or third period.
General manager Dale Tallon selected Kane as his first-round pick in 2007, and the hot-headed Buffalo hunk made an immediate impact scoring 21 goals, providing 51 assists and winning the Calder Memorial Trophy as a rookie. year.
Right away we knew Kane was different. Already blessed with next-level speed, Kane’s dedication to the sport has armed him with jaw-dropping shooting accuracy and stickhandling ability to this day.
But that’s not all.
It’s Kane’s hockey sense that sets him apart from so many of his peers. In a sport that often moves at the speed of light, Kane seems to stop time as the games develop.
He knows where everyone is about to be and what everyone is about to do. Few have done better and that’s a huge reason for his 446 goals and 779 assists.
Now, could Kane have been a better defender? And has he cheated too much to offend in recent years?
Absolutely.
But not everyone can be Sidney Crosby.
Coming out of Kane, it’s a great time to reflect on how the people of Chicago have been incredibly blessed over the decades.
In the 1960s, Stan Mikita and Bobby Hull constantly had fans jumping out of their seats in the smoky old barn known as Chicago Stadium. Across town, silky smooth Gale Sayers burst onto the scene and became one of the NFL’s best pure running backs.
Walter Payton – considered by some to be the greatest all-around football player of all time – followed Sayers and hustled stunned defenders from 1975 to 1987.
MJ arrived in 1984 and instantly dazzled the world with an air show never before seen in the NBA.
Let’s not forget ball-bashing Ernie Banks and Frank Thomas or slick-fielding Ryne Sandberg.
It’s quite a journey for a single city.
Still, it wasn’t over. Not even close.
Kane gave Hawks fans nearly 16 years of must-have hockey that we may never see again. And while “Showtime” wasn’t the only reason the Hawks won three Stanley Cups, it certainly snatched home some of the most important goals in those title runs.
Witness it:
• The ridiculous and almost unbelievable shorthanded goal in Game 5 of the first round against Nashville in 2010.
• Philadelphia Cup-winning overtime scorer.
• The sizzling Game 5 double OT of the deciding series in the Western Conference Finals against Los Angeles in 2013.
• And the perfectly placed one-timer that made it 2-0 in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final against Tampa Bay in 2015.
Since then, Kane has remained Kane, but he’s been forced to watch in dismay as Stan Bowman destroys a playoff-caliber roster, prematurely fires the franchise’s best coach of all time in Joel Quenneville, and then doubles down on hiring an all-too-green . Jeremy Colliton.
Then came last summer, when Davidson tore down the roster to begin a total rebuild.
Indeed, the past few years have been difficult, especially for one who yearns so much to be part of a winner.
Now — finally — that day has arrived.
Is it overwhelming for many fans? Absolutely.
But be brave.
Because Kane’s heart is finally full again.