With the rumors of Patrick Kane likely signing with a team in November making the rounds, the New York Rangers are again being linked to the nine-time All-Star. Given how Kane became a Ranger in February, it is no surprise that he would be interested in returning and that the Rangers would be interested.
While there would be many positives in bringing him back, there might also be some negatives that would impact the make-up of the Rangers. Here are some pros and cons for Kane’s possible return to Broadway.
Pro: Kane Healthier Than Before
When the Rangers acquired Kane before the 2023 Trade Deadline, they knew they wouldn’t be getting him at 100%, and that he wouldn’t be the player of years past. It was common knowledge that he was dealing with a hip issue that would need surgery in the offseason. Because of this and the fact that he only wanted to play for the Rangers at the time, the team was able to get him for very little. Even while injured, he put up some good numbers, with 12 points in 19 regular-season games, and was even better in the playoffs with six points in the seven-game first-round series against the New Jersey Devils.
Kane had surgery during the offseason and is now back to feeling like his old self. If the Rangers were to bring him back, they should be getting an even better player than he was the first time around. While it might take some time for him to get back into game shape and learn the new systems, he would be a big addition to the forward core and would provide depth scoring, which has been lacking so far this season. He could also play a bigger role in the top six, but that is where the issues might occur.
Con: Taking Ice-Time From Younger Players
If Kane were to return, the Rangers might put him right into their top six. However, one of the main goals of this season is to see if players like Alexis Lafreniere and Kaapo Kakko can stick in the top six for long stretches. So far, they have looked good, even though they are not scoring. With Kane, one of these young players would likely have to move down to the third line, where they shouldn’t be playing, and they would lose power-play time as well. The Rangers shouldn’t risk their development just to bring in an aging player who won’t be here for as long as they will be.
Related:Kreider’s Contract Looks Like A Bargain
Latest News & Highlights
Some will argue that the Rangers could put Kane on the third line, which would solve the problem of having to move one of Lafreniere or Kakko down. However, if they want to get the best out of Kane, he needs to be playing with the top players on the team – he needs to be in the top six. This likely wouldn’t sit well with Kakko and Lafreniere because they have had to work to earn their spots, and Kane could step in and take one of them.
Pro: Kane Gives Team A Better Chance To Win
While it might cause some problems with the young players, bringing Kane back will only make the Rangers a better and more dangerous team to deal with in the tough Eastern Conference. Kane will bring more offense and could regain that chemistry he had with Artemi Panarin, or even create new chemistry with Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider. Kane will only bring the Rangers closer to winning their first Stanley Cup since 1994.
Overall, the pros of Kane coming back to the Rangers outweigh the cons. He would likely sign for a cheap deal, and this would allow the Rangers to use the rest of their cap space to fill other holes on the roster should they need to make any moves. Kane is still a very good player, and although he might not be an All-Star anymore, he would still be a big addition to the Rangers’ roster.