Report: Patrick Kane Traded to Rangers from Blackhawks for 2023 2nd-Round Pick, More

Chicago Blackhawks star Patrick Kane is on his way to the New York Rangers in exchange for a conditional second-round pick and a fourth-rounder in 2023 ahead of the NHL's March 3 deadline, according to Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli.

ESPN's Emily Kaplan reported on the details of the conditional selection:

Kaplan also reported the Arizona Coyotes are helping to facilitate the trade with New York and Chicago. The Coyotes are receiving a 2025 third-round pick as part of the transaction, per Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.

It was a tough decision for Kane to part ways with the Blackhawks. TSN's Darren Dreger reported July 20 that the forward was undecided on whether he wanted to request a trade from the franchise, and he didn't decide on a move until Tuesday.

Kane has spent his entire 15-year career with the Blackhawks, winning three Stanley Cups and being named to the All-Star Game four times. The 33-year-old recorded 1,225 points (446 goals, 779 assists) in 1,161 games in Chicago.

During the 2021-22 season, Kane notched 92 points (26 goals, 66 assists) in 78 games. This season, he has tallied 16 goals and 29 assists in 54 games, so it's not surprising that he generated a lot of interest.

In addition, Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson told reporters March 1 that the team would be entering a rebuild, meaning that veteran players like Kane and Jonathan Toews, both of whom will be unrestricted free agents after the season, would be available.

Davidson said:

"We’re going to look at more of a rebuild here. There are some things that we really need to fix that are going to take time. We're not going to put a timeline on it, whether it's three, five [years], I don't have that answer right now. That will be determined as we proceed.

"But we really need to do this the right way and we're going to stick to the plan and take our time with it and make sure that when we get to where we want to go, then it was the result of a plan that was stuck to and not deviated from."

The Blackhawks began executing their rebuild over the summer by trading Alex DeBrincat to the Ottawa Senators in exchange for three draft picks, including the 2022 No. 7 pick that was used to select defenseman Kevin Korchinski.

Chicago also traded Kirby Dach to the Montreal Canadiens for two draft picks, including the 2022 No. 13 pick that was used to select center Frank Nazar. In addition, the team drafted defenseman Sam Rinzel with the 25th pick after trading one of the picks from the DeBrincat deal.

Moving Kane was just the next step in the process for Davidson and the Blackhawks, who sit eighth in the Central Division with a 21-33-5 record.

The Rangers had long been linked to Kane, and the Buffalo native even admitted on Feb. 10 that he had his eyes on New York as a possible destination if he decided to leave Chicago.

However, Kane landing with the Rangers seemed like a long shot after the franchise acquired winger Vladimir Tarasenko in a deal with the St. Louis Blues on Feb. 9. Kaplan also reported at the time that New York had expressed concerns over Kane's hip injury.

Luckily, the Rangers were able to work out a deal for the right wing, who reportedly was only willing to accept a move to New York, Scott Powers of The Athletic reported Feb. 25.

Kane will significantly elevate New York's offensive potential for the remainder of the season alongside Tarasenko, Artemi Panarin and Mika Zibanejad. The Rangers sit third in the Metropolitan Division with a 34-17-9 record.