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IT'S SHOWTIME ON BROADWAY

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6102/28/2023 7:54 PM
Jonathan Daniel. Getty Images.

We were told it was dead.

 

We were told the Rangers fucked up.

 

As it turns out, the Rangers reportedly have added arguably the greatest American-born player ever and his three Stanley Cup rings to a squad that's already been hovering just outside the top-5 teams in the NHL without him. For peanuts.

 

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Just in time to provide a spark during their first bump in the road since the start of December. Here's what I wrote about Kane being atop my list of deadline acquisitions recently:

I just can't comprehend the Kane hate from Rangers twitter like he's all of a sudden washed up. Listen, he's obviously not physically 100% and that's a concern - but any other complaints about his on-ice production this year are plain stupid. The team around him STINKS. And the team around him last year stunk too but at least he had DeBrincat, which was all he needed to have a point on 42% of Blackhawks goals. His 92 points were almost double any forward not named DeBrincat (Strome was next with 48). This past summer Chicago lost their next 5 highest-scoring forwards and essentially swapped DeBrincat for Anathasiou as Kane's primary linemate. Yikes. He's literally the only player opponents have to worry about shutting down and they play from behind so often it's easy for teams to sit back and make sure he's got as little ice as possible. Kane is a premier playmaker without a single teammate skilled enough to make plays for. What did we think was gonna happen? He was gonna make Anathasiou a point-per-game guy? Yet despite all that he's still churning out top-40 powerplay production & has 2 more all-situations expected goals than Artemi Panarin. With NO ONE. Imagine what he'd do in NY?

If Kane's hip issue isn't likely to derail his season then he's still the primary target for me when you take into account the acquisition cost. I saw something dumb floating around Twitter that a deal for Kane STARTS with either Lafreniere or Kakko along with a first. That's the biggest load of bullshit I've ever seen. The Hawks have no leverage here just like Philly had none last year when moving Giroux. If Kane says he wants to come to Broadway then Chicago essentially takes whatever they can get, which will end up being something like a first with Jones/Kravtsov and a sweetener. They wouldn't have to move young roster pieces or part with Othmann to acquire a first-ballot HOFer with three rings who just came off a 92-point season. How could anyone have a problem with that???

Ended up not even taking that much. When you can add a talent like Patrick fucking Kane for pennies on the dollar as a contender, you do it. You don't criticize it. You don't exaggerate the negatives. Sure he's in his 30's, but he's not ancient. Maybe he's got a hip issue, but that doesn't mean it's not something he can't play through like tons of players do when hurt every year (which he's proven with 7G/3A over his last 4 contests while skating 20 min/night before sitting & waiting to officially become a Blueshirt). Yeah he's never gonna be mistaken for a Selke candidate but that's not uncommon among some of the league's elite point producers. You're gonna say no to Draisaitl too? Ovi? Stop it. Any time Kane has had even just one quality teammate he's lit it up. Now he's gonna have options like his buddy Panarin, Zibanejad, Tarasenko, Kreider, Trocheck & Fox while on a mission to be the key piece in bringing a Cup to New York. Doesn't matter what the combos end up being - that's a juggernaut top six and the only place Patrick Kane wanted to be.

I'm not gonna sit here and guarantee a parade is coming but…

 

VIVA LA BLUESHIRTS!!!!!


new york rangers+ 4 Tags
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6102/28/2023 7:54 PM