Here's how the Patrick Kane trade really worked out for the Chicago Blackhawks

The Blackhawks dealt Patrick Kane to the New York Rangers on a three-team trade back on February 28, 2023, sending him and prospect Cooper Zech out of town for a conditional second-round pick in 2023, a fourth-rounder in 2025 and defenseman Andy Welinski from New York, plus a piece coming back through Arizona.

Chicago cashes those picks for prospects like Martin Misiak and Parker Holmes, young players with potential but no NHL impact yet, and neither Welinski nor Vili Saarijarvi made a splash in Chicago.

For Hawks fans it still stings a little, because trading Kane was the end of an era that brought three Stanley Cups, 1,225 points and countless highlight reels.

The optics were always rough, Chicago giving up arguably their greatest franchise player for draft capital and minimal roster help. The Rangers didn't go deep into the playoffs with Kane, and he eventually moved on to Detroit where he's continued to score and contribute, including 20 goals and 47 points in 50 games last season.

From a pure hockey value standpoint, the haul looks modest for a Hall of Famer. The conditional second-rounder could have morphed into a first-rounder only if the Rangers hit certain goals, and while having those draft assets helps a rebuild flex depth, Chicago didn't net an immediate difference-maker from that deal.

This isn't to say the Blackhawks got nothing; it's just slow building rather than instant payoff. Bedard's emergence and the youth movement are the new core, and the draft capital gives GM Kyle Davidson flexibility in upcoming drafts. Development timelines remain long, which means the real verdict on the Kane trade may not come for years rather than months.