Acessing wants versus needs for the Rangers
As free agency approaches and now that the draft has passed, rumor season is in full force. This week, there have been rumors linking the Rangers to J.T. Miller, Patrick Kane, and Evgeni Malkin. Each player has been met with criticism from Rangers fans, and it seems like none of these players would be worth investing in with the team's limited cap space. Miller is requesting too much money for the Rangers' cap range, Kane has abysmal defensive numbers, will require a significant portion of his salary to be retained and is starting to get older, and Malkin can be undisciplined at times and is also aging. However, these are still big-name players that have had a tremendous amount of success and warrant the visions fans might have of what they would look like in a Rangers uniform. Most of the discourse from the past few days surrounded Kane, and if he represents a need for the team or just another fantasy.
The biggest apparent need for the Rangers, as discussed in previous articles, is a second line center. Just from that fact alone, Kane would not be the addition the Rangers need this offseason. There's also the complication of his cap hit, which is $10.5M for this season, which would make it impossible for the Rangers to make other moves if they took the entirety of the contract. Salary would need to be retained, ideally 50%, if a move is to be made. Additionally, the Rangers would most likely have to package some of their prospects and picks to send back to Chicago and it might have to include Kaapo Kakko, although the Blackhawks just sent Kirby Dach, who was drafted right after Kakko in 2019, to the Canadiens, and sent Alex DeBrincat to the Senators for the 7th overall pick in Thursday night's draft. The return for DeBrincat was underwhelming considering he is only 24 years old and is a 40 goal scorer; this is the kind of player one would build a team around, yet the Hawks gave him up.
If the Rangers could acquire Kane at 50% retained salary without giving up Kakko, then maybe it would be worth making the move. The 3-time Stanley Cup winner is coming off of a 92-point season and has averaged over a point per game for his career. Even though his defensive metrics are less than stellar, he would undoubtedly provide offense to the Rangers, especially at even strength, where he accumulated 61 points last season. Add that to his history of playing with Artemi Panarin and it can be seen why some would want Kane on the team next season. In their first season on a line together in 2015-16, Panarin won the Calder Memorial Trophy and Kane won the Hart Memorial Trophy. Believe it or not, their center was former Ranger, Artem Anisimov, who had 42 points that season. The thinking is that if Panarin and Kane are on a line together, it doesn't matter who the center is because the two wingers are so offensively gifted. Acquiring Kane would push Kakko down to the third line, lengthening the lineup and creating more depth.
Despite all of this, it would be unrealistic for the Rangers to trade for Kane with the above conditions, in my opinion. Chris Drury might also have to make more moves to ensure that he has enough cap space. Although trading for Kane is a possibility, it is more of a want and a fantasy rather than an actual need to improve the team.
Kane picture: NHL.com
Kane, Panarin, Anisimov picture: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports
Joey DiMeglio - Ice Cold Takes/ Olde City Sports Network
