It's official, Patrick Kane has been traded to the New York Rangers

It's official, Patrick Kane is now a member of the New York Rangers.

The Chicago Blackhawks finally pulled the trigger on a deal sending Kane to the Rangers in a deal for a 2nd round pick, a 4th round pick and Vilja Saarijarvi and Andy Welenski. The Arizona Coyotes also got in on the deal in order to retain salary and enable the Rangers to get under the salary cap.

The itemized details:

To NYR
- RW Patrick Kane
- DCooper Zech

To CHI
- D Andy Welinski
- D Vili Saarijarvi
- 2023 conditional 2nd RD pick
- 2025 4th RD pick
- Hawks retain 50% of Kane's contract

To AZ
- 2025 conditional 3rd RD pick
- Coyotes retain 25% of Kane's contract

This means that the Rangers get Kane at just 25% of his $10.5 million annual salary. Not a bad little discount...

Of course, social media has been abuzz with NHL insiders linking Chicago Blackhawks superstar Patrick Kane to the New York Rangers via trade rumors for months now, yet there's still no deal in earnest. The two sides have reportedly been working on the makings of a deal for awhile now, but the Rangers had to do some salary cap clearing in order the make it happen. Now though, the deal is done.

To be honest, I'm not sure I ever saw this day coming It'll be so, so, SO strange to see Kane in anything other than a Blackhawks uniform. Once the Rangers acquired Vladimir Tarasenko from the St. Louis Blues I thought for certain that the Kane to NYC rumors would die down. But full credit to Rangers GM Chris Drury for pulling this deal together. This clearly wasn't an easy deal for either side to consummate. 

It seems like Kane was intent on either going to the Rangers or simply sticking things out with the Blackhawks. After the Rangers acquired Tarasenk, Kane openly admitted that he was disappointed and that New York was one of the only places he'd consider going in a trade. Well, turn that from upside down Kaner because you are now officially a member of the New York Rangers.