The Blackhawks have officially traded franchise icon Patrick Kane, who helped bring three Stanley Cups to Chicago and will go down as arguably the greatest player in team history.
In return, the Blackhawks received a conditional second-round pick in 2023 that could turn into a first-rounder in 2024 or 2025, along with a fourth-round pick and defenseman Andy Welinski. They also received defenseman Vili Saarijarvi from the Arizona Coyotes, who acted as the third-party broker and retained 25 percent of Kane's salary.
The Blackhawks sent defenseman Cooper Zech to the Rangers, and the Coyotes acquired a third-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft as compensation for the salary retention. The Blackhawks retained the other 50 percent of Kane's salary.
After the trade was announced, the Blackhawks brass released the following statements:
Blackhawks CEO Danny Wirtz:
"The contributions Patrick Kane has made to the Blackhawks organization and city of Chicago will never be forgotten. While today marks the end of an era for the team, he will forever be a part of the Blackhawks family. Three Stanley Cups, over 1,000 games, more than 1,200 points, over 400 goals and countless awards are just part of the legacy he leaves here—one of the greatest Blackhawks players in club history. On behalf of Rocky, and my entire family, we wish Patrick, Amanda, Patrick III, and the rest of his family all the best with the New York Rangers and we thank him for the countless joyful memories.
"As we close Patrick’s chapter in club history, we look forward to what will be another exciting era. We have full faith and trust in Kyle Davidson and his team to showcase their future vision for this team. We share this continued journey with our loyal fans and forever appreciate their support."
NHL
Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson:
"Patrick Kane leaves the Blackhawks with a legacy that will be hard to match. We all love Patrick and the memories he provided our fans and our organization for 16 seasons. He and his representatives were great to work through during this process—I really appreciate the exemplary open communication we had—and we wish him well with the New York Rangers. I knew from day one of taking this job that there would be some tough days and today was one of the toughest.
"Our goal from day one is to achieve sustained success throughout all levels of the organization and that goal remains. I appreciate the continued support of team leadership and I look forward to leading the Blackhawks into this next era on the ice."
Click here to subscribe to the Blackhawks Talk Podcast for free.