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Danny Wild-KeynoteUSA Sports
Patrick Kane may want to complete some unfinished business with the New York Rangers.
NHL expert Frank Seravelli said it on the Daily Faceoff podcast with Jonny Lazarus
“It felt like when he came to New York and it hurt him that he tried to do the best he could, but he kind of let them down,” Seravelli explained. “They didn’t say that, but she felt like she left something on the table because she wasn’t in top shape and I think she wanted the opportunity to try to do it again to fix it.”
Seravelli was referring to the fact that Kane was far from 100 percent healthy when the Rangers acquired him from the Chicago Blackhawks before the 2023 NHL trade deadline. Although he was a player, Kane did not play his usual level of superstar after arriving on Broadway due to a hip injury.
Kane scored five goals and finished with 12 points in 19 regular season games with the Rangers that season. The three-time Stanley Cup champion scored just one goal in New York’s seven-game loss to the New Jersey Devils in the first round of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs, although he was third on the team with six points.
Shortly after the Rangers were eliminated by the Devils, Kane underwent hip resurfacing surgery. Most NHL players, including Nicklas Backstrom of the Washington Capitals, were unable to return to a high level of play after this surgery, but Kane was. After signing as a free agent with the Detroit Red Wings, the 35-year-old scored 20 goals and totaled 47 points in 50 games last season.
“Patrick was great, wasn’t he?” Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman said during his season-ending press conference. “He’s like a magician with the puck: his skill, his sense, his calmness in high-pressure situations and in danger zones.
“He was great for our team and I think he brought a lot of what I guess they call swag.”
Related: Why Jake Guentzel is unlikely to be a fit for the Rangers in free agency
Patrick Kane may want to return to Rangers to complete unfinished business
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Seravelli and others have said that Kane had interest in joining the Rangers after his surgery. It is unknown if the Rangers entered into talks with Kane and/or his agency, or what his level of interest in him was.
A healthy Kane could have given New York a different top-six look in the playoffs, which ended in a six-game loss to the Florida Panthers in the Eastern Conference finals. How he would have handled the Panthers’ relentless physicality is unknown, although his creativity and past playoff success couldn’t have hurt.
Kane spoke highly of the Red Wings and his experience in Detroit. But he has been very quiet about his future since the Red Wings missed the playoffs and ended their season.
Knowing how Kane orchestrated his move to the Rangers ahead of the 2022 deadline, there is a feeling he could accept less money to join them. Kane had a modest $2.75 million cap hit with Detroit after the surgery. Now that he has proven to be healthy, he would have more money this summer than last on the open market.
But if he’s willing to accept less for a Broadway return (after all, Kane has earned approximately $121 million in his career), general manager Chris Drury will likely have some level of interest. Or maybe that ship has completely sailed for the Rangers GM. He is not willing to say anything important publicly on the subject.
But Kane has 471 goals and 1,284 points in 1,230 NHL games and 138 points (53 goals, 85 assists) in 143 Stanley Cup playoff games.
That level of greatness, coupled with a star looking for redemption, could be an intriguing option for the Rangers, especially if the asking price is within their budget.
Keynote USA
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