There is not much normal about the Rangers’ pending trade for Patrick Kane, starting with some of the most convoluted salary-cap gymnastics in the history of salary caps.
Outside of NHL front offices, journalists who cover the sport and fans with too much time on their hands, the rest of us had our eyes glaze over a half-dozen roster manipulations ago.
But there is another abnormal thing about this that is easier to understand and more important to Blueshirts fans:
Unlike most late-season rentals for contending teams in any sport, there is nothing to debate regarding this acquisition, which presumably will be finalized by Friday’s deadline.
Usually the risk-benefit analysis centers around losing key prospects and/or draft picks for a short-term gain.
But in this case, because Kane has all the leverage over hapless Chicago and can dictate where he wants to go — which clearly is to the Rangers — he will not command a big price in return.
The Rangers will pay, but the cost figures to be modest for a guy who has seven goals and 10 points in his past four games.
Oh, and who just might be the perfect late-season turbocharger for his former Chicago linemate Artemi Panarin.
And did we mention he also is a three-time Stanley Cup winner and former NHL MVP?
To what extent Kane’s recent hot streak has been ignited by his disappointment over the Rangers acquiring Vladimir Tarasenko before they got around to him is not clear.
It hardly will matter if he joins Tarasenko and the rest of the Rangers to mount a deep playoff run.
Kane, 34, will be too expensive to retain beyond this season, but who cares? The Rangers are good enough to win now, and on paper Kane can only help.
It has been five years since “The Letter,” in which the Rangers announced a major rebuilding project, and that era is long over now.
Last year’s run to the Eastern Conference finals, where they lost to the Lightning in six games, officially turned that corner.
This is a…
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