NHL Trade Buzz: Kane still weighing options with Blackhawks

Welcome to the NHL Trade Buzz. There are 11 days remaining until the 2023 NHL Trade Deadline (3 p.m. ET; March 3). Here's a look around the League at the latest deadline doings.

Chicago Blackhawks

Patrick Kane said he was disappointed when the New York Rangers acquired forward Vladimir Tarasenko from the St. Louis Blues last week because he had some interest in being traded to the Rangers. He didn't have the same reaction when the Toronto Maple Leafs acquired Ryan O'Reilly from the Blues on Friday, though.
"I don't think there was, at least that I know of, much discussion of that being an option," Kane said after he had a hat trick, the ninth of his NHL regular-season career, in Chicago's 5-3 win against the Maple Leafs at United Center on Sunday.
"I think there's a lot of different reports out there and not all of them are true. Got to be careful what you listen to."
Kane is still mulling what he'll do before the NHL Trade Deadline. He's in the final season of the eight-year contract he signed with the Blackhawks on July 9, 2014, and has a full no-movement clause.
Kane said he's been having discussions with Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson and his agent Pat Brisson "pretty much every day for the past few weeks" and that the impending deadline is not weighing on him.
"It is what it is," he said. "It's just the situation that it is, so it's like, what are you going to do about it? That's kind of where we're at."
Davidson said Sunday he expects a decision by Kane "soon." -- Tracey Myers, staff writer

New York Rangers

Tyler Motte played for the Rangers in a 4-1 loss to the Winnipeg Jets at Madison Square Garden on Monday.
The forward
was acquired by New York
in a trade with the Ottawa Senators on Sunday for forward Julien Gauthier and a conditional seventh-round pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, which will become the lower of the Rangers' or Jets' sixth-round selection if New York advances past the Eastern Conference First Round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Motte had two shots in 10:11 of ice time in the loss.
The Rangers are well aware of Motte's abilities, having traded a fourth-round pick in the 2023 NHL Draft to the Vancouver Canucks for him on March 21, 2022. He scored two goals in 15 playoff games last season to help New York advance to the Eastern Conference Final before signing a one-year, $1.35 million contract with Ottawa on Sept. 14, 2022.
It's that familiarity the Rangers have with the 27-year-old that helps make him a good fit. His physical play is ideal for a fourth-line role, and his prowess on the penalty kill should help a Rangers unit that is ranked 16th in the NHL at 79.4 percent.
Motte has nine points (three goals, six assists) in 39 games this season, missing 16 due to injury.

San Jose Sharks

Timo Meier did not play for the Sharks in a 4-0 win against the Seattle Kraken on Monday.
The 26-year-old forward is day to day with an upper-body injury he sustained in a 4-2 loss to the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday.
Meier, who has 52 points (31 goals, 21 assists) in 57 games this season, is one of the most coveted forwards on the trade market, especially with Vladimir Tarasenko (New York Rangers), Bo Horvat (New York Islanders) and Ryan O'Reilly (Toronto Maple Leafs) off the board. Interested teams are expected to closely monitor his heath with just 11 days remaining until the trade deadline.
TSN has reported that the New Jersey Devils and Carolina Hurricanes have had trade discussions with the Sharks. Sportsnet has linked Meier with the Boston Bruins and Dallas Stars.

Winnipeg Jets

Jets players have a sense that moves might be coming.
"You'd love to be in the (front office) room," defenseman Nate Schmidt said to The Athletic. "It's always funny to say fly-on-the-wall, right? It's that time of the year where you start seeing things, seeing teams make big deals like [Friday].
"Interesting time of the year."
Schmidt was referring to the three-team trade on Friday that resulted in forwards Ryan O'Reilly and Noel Acciari going to the Toronto Maple Leafs from the St. Louis Blues. The Minnesota Wild were also involved.
The Jets bounced back from a 4-2 loss to the New Jersey Devils on Sunday with a 4-1 win against the New York Rangers on Monday thanks to 50 saves from Connor Hellebuyck. With the win, Winnipeg (35-21-1) moved one point back of the Dallas for first place in the Central Division.
In sich a tight race, with the Colorado Avalanche and Minnesota Wild breathing down their necks, the Jets will look to be buyers before the deadline.