After weeks of rumors reaching the NHL trade deadline, the 3-time Stanely Cup Champion, Patrick Kane, will be coming to the Big Apple after being traded to the New York Rangers. 

This past Tuesday, the New York Rangers traded two draft picks, a 2023 second-round pick and 2025 fourth-round pick, to the Chicago Blackhawks to receive the All-Star Kane. Patrick Kane has accumulated a massive 1,225 points (446G, 779A) in his career as a Blackhawk, not including playoffs. He will be reunited with Left Winger, Artemi Panarin, who played with Kane in Chicago when he was first drafted in 2015. 

It is clear that the New York Rangers are looking to make a deep playoff come May. Along with Patrick Kane, the Rangers traded for Vladimir Tarasenko from the St. Louis Blues to add veteran experience in their lineup. Last season, the Rangers finished second in the Metropolitan Division with a 52-24-6 record. They would catch a spark in the playoffs, defeating the Pittsburg Penguins and the Carolina Hurricanes both in Game 7. Their playoff journey would end when facing the two-time defending Stanley Cup Champions, the Tampa Bay Lightning, in the Eastern Conference Final. 

Last season’s Eastern Conference Final was the most watched Conference Final since 2013, with an average of 2.4 million viewers. Game 6 between the Rangers and Lightning averaged an astounding 2.8 million viewers, which was an 83% increase of viewership compared to last year’s Eastern Conference Final Game 6. According to Danny Chi at ESPN Press Room, “Across Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and Twitter, ESPN NHL social media content has generated 12.2M total engagements and 181.9M video views.” I would imagine with Patrick Kane bringing the nickname “Showtime” to Madison Square Garden, ratings for the Rangers games will only see an increase in the coming months, especially come time for playoffs. 

So far this season, the Rangers are 35-17-9 in 61 games played. Mika Zibanejad leads the team in goals with 32 while Artemi Panarin leads in points with 68. Playing a huge part in the team’s success is starting goaltender, Igor Shesterkin, with 27 wins on the season so far. The Rangers currently hold the number three spot in the Metropolitan Division with 79 points. The Rangers are eclipsed by the Carolina Hurricanes at the top with 86 points and the newly fueled New Jersey Devils at 85 points. If this trend continues, the Rangers will play the Devils or the Hurricanes in the first round of the playoffs. 

Growing up watching hockey, I lived through the Chicago Blackhawks era of domination. Three Stanley Cups in six years, all of which were staggered. They were the team that everybody feared come playoff time, and Kane was probably the player everybody feared most. He scored the overtime winner against the Flyers in 2010 to begin this dynasty and hasn’t looked back since. I think Patrick Kane is going to find a nice home in New York and with the Rangers franchise, reigniting a dynasty that scares every other team in the league.