DETROIT — The Rangers’ white whale is swimming closer to the shores of New York City. 

This is not the first time Blackhawks star wing Patrick Kane and the Rangers have been linked in trade rumors, as was reinforced by The Post this week. And Thursday night, antennas were raised once again prior to the Rangers’ 4-1 loss to the Red Wings when the Blueshirts announced that Vitali Kravtsov and Jake Leschyshyn were unavailable due to “roster management reasons.” 

The roster will certainly need some serious management if the Rangers want to acquire Kane. The Chicago star has been on a tear, with 10 points in his past four games, since he expressed his disappointment after Vladimir Tarasenko was acquired this month by the Rangers — a team Kane would clearly waive his no-move clause to join. 

In order to fit the 34-year-old Kane at 25 percent of his full salary cap hit ($2.625 million, according to Cap Friendly), not only would the Blackhawks have to retain 50 percent of his $10.5 million cap hit, while a third team acts as a banker and takes 50 percent of what remains, but also the Rangers (assuming Kravtsov and Leschyshyn are heading to Chicago) would have to waive another player. 

If they were to waive, say, Ben Harpur and his $750,000 cap hit, the Rangers would be able to make the trade work. They would be forced, however, to carry just 20 players for a minimum of 12 days before they would accrue enough cap space to bring Harpur back up. 

Should the Rangers waive Kravtsov ($227,027 remaining on his cap hit) and Leschyshyn ($198,919 remaining on his cap hit) by Saturday, that would equate to $632,000 in team cap space, and they need $709,000. The Rangers would still have to make another move to make a Kane deal work. The team has managed to remain basically healthy this season, but it’s a risky move to cut down the roster. 

Another option would be to wait until trade-deadline day, March 3, when 25 percent of Kane’s remaining prorated cap hit would be at an affordable $595,946. If they were to waive Kravtsov and Leschyshyn this Saturday, the Rangers would then be able to fit Kane in without any additional moves at the deadline. 

It’s unlikely that the Rangers would want to wait that long, but never say never in an all-in move like this. 

Financial hurdles aside, there’s also the question of the assets the Rangers would have to package for the Blackhawks. With each passing day, it feels as though the Rangers have more and more leverage over Chicago, which obviously wants to do right by the player who helped bring three Stanley Cups to the city over the course of 16 seasons. 

The Post’s Larry Brooks reported that the Rangers’ lone remaining first-round pick in what’s supposed to be a loaded 2023 draft is seemingly off limits, as are blue-chip prospects Will Cuylle and Brennan Othmann. Zac Jones is probably the most-valued prospect who isn’t untouchable, but there’s a belief that Chicago has a preference for tall and big-bodied defensemen and Jones is 5-foot-10, 178 pounds. 

Rangers president and general manager Chris Drury could offer a first-round selection in 2024 or 2025 if a top pick is a must for the Blackhawks. The Rangers may have the upper hand, but there would have to be a return of substance to the Blackhawks for an agreement to be made. 

Either way, the wind is seemingly blowing the Rangers and Kane closer together. The Rangers have a lot to do before it can happen, but there are ways to get it done.