Rangers Acquire Star Winger Patrick Kane From Blackhawks

On Tuesday, the Rangers made a trade for star winger Patrick Kane from Chicago. In exchange, they received his services along with a 2023 second round pick and 2023 fourth-round pick.

Kane is in the midst of his worst season, yet he remains a top-six winger with an impressive playoff history.

What’s in the deal?

On Tuesday, the New York Rangers finally concluded a trade with the Chicago Blackhawks that had been in discussion for weeks. Acquiring star winger Patrick Kane not only provides them with additional depth heading into the postseason, but it also frees up some salary cap space as they continue to invest in their future.

In exchange for Kane, the Rangers will receive a conditional 2023 second-round pick (which could become a first rounder if they reach the Conference Finals this season) and 2023 fourth-round pick. Furthermore, Chicago will retain 50% of Kane's $10.5 million average annual value while Arizona Coyotes take on the other 50%.

Although this deal is attractive, it won't be enough to keep the Rangers in contention for the playoffs. They need to make other moves this summer in order to add depth to their top-six forward group.

Team options range from the Colorado Avalanche and Los Angeles Kings, but it will likely take a three-team effort with assistance from other organizations in order for this deal to succeed.

The Islanders, who recently acquired Bo Horvat through a trade, could potentially accommodate Kane. If they can keep him under their salary cap, he'll be an ideal addition to a squad that already features some of soccer's top prospects like Mathew Barzal and Filip Chytil.

However, it would be difficult for the Rangers to acquire Kane from Chicago for a package that wasn't significantly better than what they received in this deal. They will likely need to find another team who can assist with financing this deal; however, given their deep draft and young players it should not be an issue.

Kane joining the top-six is just another addition to the Rangers' impressive roster. Just weeks prior, they acquired Vladimir Tarasenko from St. Louis Blues, making them one of the most exciting teams in Eastern Conference. This move re-establishes them as an elite squad that could potentially return to Stanley Cup Final action.

Why did the Rangers make the move?

Two weeks ago, the Rangers drastically altered their roster when they acquired star winger Patrick Kane from Chicago Blackhawks in a trade. It remains to be seen if this deal will prove fruitful for them; nonetheless, this move offers plenty of value for them in return.

The Rangers headed into the offseason with one goal in mind: to improve. Their core of players was intended to be enhanced through both draft and free agency, while significant changes were also made to their coaching staff, such as adding an experienced head coach and overhauling all defensive units.

They also made moves to strengthen their pitching staff, with general manager Jeff Gorton adding New York Mets pitcher Jacob deGrom as the starter. It is undeniable that the Rangers believe deGrom is one of baseball's premier pitchers, yet they know his injury history and that he can only be at his peak performance when healthy.

With deGrom on board, the Rangers should have a formidable starting rotation entering 2022. However, it's unlikely they'll be in contention for the playoffs this year without making significant improvements to their other players as well.

To this end, the Rangers needed to add talent to their roster; thus they selected outfielder Joe Gallo as a rental player. Although the Rangers will receive another $3.5 million from Gallo at season's end, they felt that his services would be beneficial during their rebuilding process.

Gallo may not be a star player, but he has shown to be an effective defender and possess plenty of potential. Hitting coaches Donnie Ecker and Tim Hyers as well as mental performance coordinator Hannah Heusman will have their hands full testing out Gallo in this project.

For years, the Rangers have been on a remarkable upward trajectory due to their talented core of young players such as first baseman Michael Young and third baseman Ryan Rueschhoff. Their postseason runs in 2010 and 2011 proved successful, so now they aim to build off those successes while also investing in an impressive future with their promising young prospects.

What’s the upside?

On Tuesday, the Rangers acquired star winger Patrick Kane from Chicago. This move could provide them with a significant upgrade on their right wing as they remain in the middle of the NHL with 3.16 goals per game; however, adding Kane would greatly bolster their offense.

For the Rangers, this is a huge win as they were two games away from making a Stanley Cup Final appearance this season and need help in that area. Kane, who is in his last year of an $82 million contract that pays him $84 million over eight years, has been struggling this year and hasn't scored as many points as he did last season.

But if he can re-engage and capitalize on the talented players around him, his production could return to its former level. That said, it may take some time for him to adjust to life with the Rangers; however, that wait could prove worthwhile in the end.

He's also an experienced player, which can only be beneficial for a team trying to rally after being down multiple times this season. Unlike Vladimir Tarasenko who was an inexperienced rookie who struggled in his first year in the league, Kane is an experienced veteran who has been part of three Stanley Cup-winning teams in three seasons.

What's more, the Rangers own another first-round pick this year thanks to their trade last summer that sent defenseman Nils Lundkvist to Dallas in exchange for two draft picks. With some help from a third team to fit him under the salary cap, they could potentially add Kane and get him to waive his no-trade clause, as Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported on Monday morning.

At present, the Rangers have approximately $7.7 million in salary cap space - that is, assuming they can re-sign winger Braden Schneider and keep him on the roster. Unfortunately, CapFriendly estimates this won't happen until next Tuesday's NHL cap calculation.

What’s the downside?

Tuesday night, the Rangers made a bold move by acquiring star winger Patrick Kane from the Chicago Blackhawks. Reuniting him with former teammate Artemi Panarin, this move puts them on the verge of contending for a title in the Eastern Conference.

As previously discussed, Kane, 34 next season, is having a poor year in difficult circumstances. His average goal total of 14 goals and 27 points are both career lows for him and rank second among active players. Furthermore, his xgoals against percentage and xgoals for per 60 are both high.

Teams like the New York Rangers could face serious difficulties should he decide to stay. They owe him $10 million and must absorb part of his cap hit in order to make the deal work, which could prove costly for them in the long run.

Furthermore, he's 35 and his body may not be as resilient as it once was. If he stays healthy and plays well, he could be an invaluable asset to a rebuilding team, but if he continues to struggle or even regresses, that poses major problems.

He's therefore highly sought-after by contenders looking for a top-line winger with the capacity to score goals. If he can resurrect the Rangers' offense, they could potentially win many games in the process.

However, there are also some uncertainties as to how Kane will perform on the defensive side of the puck. He possesses all of the talent and ability to enhance New York's defense; however, his age and injury history could make it difficult for him to make an immediate impact at center ice.

As I previously noted, many teams are searching for top-line wingers with a championship record. If the Rangers wanted to re-sign him to a contract, they'd need to offer him a significant increase in order to compete with those teams for his services. Unfortunately, such an agreement likely wouldn't fit within the team's budget.

Vanessa Bryant Settles Claims With LA County For Nearly $29 Million

Vanessa Bryant, widow of NBA great Kobe Bryant, has reached a settlement with Los Angeles County for nearly $29 million. This resolves legal claims related to the January 2020 helicopter crash that tragically claimed Bryant and her daughter Gianna's lives as well as any future claims associated with the case.

Bryant contends that deputies and firefighters shared graphic photos of her husband and daughter's bodies without consent, infringing upon their privacy and causing her emotional distress. She has said this thought keeps her up at night with frequent panic attacks.

1. Emotional Distress

Los Angeles County has agreed to pay Vanessa Bryant nearly $29 million for her lawsuit against first responders who she claimed took and shared graphic photos of her husband and daughter's crash site remains in 2020. A jury found that Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva and Fire Chief Daryl Osby violated her constitutional rights by sharing images of her deceased family members.

At trial, Vanessa Bryant testified with tears in her eyes that she has suffered severe emotional distress since learning of the pictures taken and shared of her late husband, Lakers legend Kobe Bryant, and their daughter Gianna after their helicopter crashed in Calabasas on January 26, 2020. She explained to jurors she's been having panic attacks about whether the images are still out there.

Bryant's complaint against the county alleges she was aggrieved by how deputies and firefighters took and shared images outside of a crash site investigation. She claims one instance in which a deputy showed photos to a bartender at a bar where he had been drinking.

According to a report in the Los Angeles Times, Bryant expressed her fear that photos would be circulated even after Villanueva ordered all deputies with photos of the crash scene to delete them immediately. Her attorneys have requested a federal judge order Villanueva and Osby to give pre-trial testimony regarding their photographs taken at the crash site, as well as review her private therapy records.

Although a jury didn't award her the full $28 million requested, she did win $16 million for emotional distress damages. Chris Chester - whose wife Sara and daughter Payton died in the crash - was also awarded $15 million.

At trial, she testified that she's been experiencing intense emotional distress ever since learning of the pictures taken and shared online of her deceased family members by sheriff's deputies and firefighters outside the crash site investigation. Specifically, she told jurors her husband Kobe Bryant and daughter Gigi were photographed after their helicopter crashed in Calabasas; these images remain online to this day. Additionally, she experienced panic attacks fearing whether these images have been leaked onto the internet.

2. Negligence

After a federal trial, Vanessa Bryant and her lawyer have reached an agreement with Los Angeles County for nearly $29 million to cover legal costs and other costs.

Eight months after her husband Kobe Bryant and six others died in a helicopter crash, Gianna Bryant filed a lawsuit for emotional distress. She claimed that photos shared between deputies and firefighters of human remains caused her distress.

Bryant's lawyers allege the deputies took grisly pictures of victims' bodies and passed them around on 28 devices they owned, posting them online, in bars and at an awards gala. Furthermore, they engaged in a cover-up and destroyed evidence related to their misconduct, the lawsuit stated.

Attorney Luis Li, representing Bryant in her civil suit against the Sheriff's Department and Fire Department, testified to the jury that sheriff's deputies were negligent for taking photos without Bryant's permission and violating her constitutional right to privacy.

On Tuesday, a jury determined that Los Angeles County must pay Bryant $28,850,000 for emotional distress and mental anguish she endured following the helicopter crash that claimed her husband and daughter, Gianna. She will share this sum with co-plaintiff Chris Chester - an Orange County financial adviser whose family also perished in the incident.

"We are delighted with this outcome for Vanessa and Chris," said Mira Hashmall, partner at Miller Barondess who served as lead outside counsel in the case. She noted that the money will be used only for legal expenses and not be put towards any potential claims by Bryant's children.

To safeguard the rights of families who suffer tragic losses due to crashes, California has passed the Survival Act. This law grants survivors compensation for wrongful death, including medical costs and lost wages as well as penalties, exemplary and punitive damages.

3. Invasion of Privacy

Los Angeles County has reached a settlement with Vanessa Bryant for nearly $29 million after she accused multiple first responders of invading her privacy after the January 2020 helicopter crash that claimed Kobe and Gianna's lives. This amount includes photos taken of the scene by deputies and firefighters that were part of their investigation into what happened.

The suit alleges that a deputy and firefighter shared pictures with off-duty colleagues for "personal gratification," including to show patrons at bars where the photos were displayed. Furthermore, several friends and family members--including Bryant's husband--were sent the images as well.

Bryant had no legal right to expect these pictures would be shared, yet she has lived in fear that they might. With the proceeds from this lawsuit, she hopes to establish a foundation in memory of her late husband and child.

Her suit further alleges that none of the first responders were involved in investigating the crash and had no legitimate purpose for taking or sharing photos. She states she is "ill at ease" at thinking strangers may gaze upon images of her deceased husband and child.

Another part of the Bryant lawsuit was filed against Jeremy Johnson, one of the deputies responsible for taking and sharing photos taken at the accident site. According to the suit, Johnson took 25 images and text-messaged them to a command post deputy at the accident site as well as AirDropping them to a county fire supervisor.

Johnson was ultimately fired by the sheriff's department, though Los Angeles County attorney Mira Hashmall called him to the stand during trial to testify that all pictures had been deleted and should never have been distributed.

She urged the jury to consider a law that only permits a verdict against the county if it can be proven that policies were insufficient to stop photo distribution or there is an established custom among first responders to share photos of victims at the scene of an accident or crime.

The jury determined that Los Angeles County violated Bryant and Chester's constitutional rights to privacy in the death of their loved ones, awarding her $15 million and $19 million respectively.

4. Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress

Intentional infliction of emotional distress is a civil tort that arises when someone intentionally causes severe emotional trauma to another individual. As this area of law can be complex, having an experienced attorney on board who can explain its workings and demonstrate it's valid is invaluable.

Bryant filed suit, alleging county employees took and shared photos of the crash scene without official purpose or investigation - infringing upon her privacy rights and causing her emotional distress. On Wednesday, a federal jury agreed, awarding her $16 million in damages.

Vanessa Bryant and her husband Kobe Bryant, as well as their daughter Gianna and seven others, perished in a helicopter crash on January 9, 2020. In addition to suing the operator of the helicopter, the Bryant family also filed separate false light claims against Los Angeles County for negligence.

Her lawsuit centers on how deputies of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department took and shared photos of the crash site that invaded their privacy and caused her emotional distress. Her attorneys maintained that these deputies weren't conducting an official investigation but rather using them for personal entertainment. Furthermore, they claimed no legitimate business reason existed for sharing what Bryant referred to as "visual gossip."

As part of her settlement with LA County for nearly $29 million, Vanessa Bryant has promised to donate the proceeds to the Mamba and Mambacita Sports Foundation - named in honor of Kobe and Gianna - with hopes that this victory would provide assistance for others like herself and their families.

Trial is expected to commence in early February and last two weeks. During the trial, she will testify about her emotional distress caused by learning that first responders had taken and shared inappropriate photos of her husband and daughter.

Vanessa Bryant's lawyer, Luis Li, expressed her desire for the photos to cease and the county held accountable. He noted that taking and sharing such graphic photos is nothing new among law-enforcement agencies; yet it had been going on without explanation for years.