The Winnipeg Jets finally traded Evander Kane on Wednesday after months of rumors and speculation over his future.
The Buffalo Sabres and Winnipeg Jets were able to complete a blockbuster trade that included multiple NHL players, prospects and a draft pick. Here’s a summary of the parts involved, followed by an analysis of what the trade means for each team:
Buffalo receives: Evander Kane, Zach Bogosian, Jason Kasdorf
Winnipeg receives: Drew Stafford, Tyler Myers, Brendan Lemieux, Joel Armia, 2015 first-round pick
What it means for Buffalo: The Sabres’ objective all season has been to win the draft lottery and select one of the two once-in-a-generation centers in Connor McDavid of the Erie Otters (OHL) or Jack Eichel of Boston University. Buffalo has the worst record in the league with 35 points, four less than the Edmonton Oilers in 29th.
Kane is a first-line right wing type of talent with the ability to score 25-40 goals and play a power forward style of hockey. A forward that blends excellent size and skill is becoming increasingly rare in today’s game and would be a perfect fit alongside a playmaking center such as McDavid or Eichel.
Acquiring Kane also won’t derail Buffalo’s draft plans because he’s going to miss the rest of the season with shoulder surgery.
The acquisition of Bogosian, a 6-foot-3 defenseman with good offensive skill, helps replace a lot of the talent that went to Winnipeg with Myers. Bogosian hasn’t lived up to his potential after being selected third overall in the 2008 draft, but he’s only 23 years old and should still improve a bit more. A change of scenery could benefit him as well.
Trading away two top prospects hurts Buffalo’s prospect depth to a degree, but the organization’s cupboard remains fully stocked with promising young talent (Sam Reinhart, Nikita Zadorov, Hudson Fasching, Mikhail Grigorenko, etc.) and it owns two first-round picks in the talent-rich 2015 draft.
What it means for Winnipeg:Â It was painfully obvious that Kane and the Jets needed to part ways before next season, especially after Sportnet’s Chris Johnston reported last week that Winnipeg defenseman Dustin Byfuglien threw Kane’s track suit in the shower following a workout.
It’s difficult to give up on a 23-year-old player with Kane’s offensive talent, but he only played in 37 games this season and Winnipeg has consistently held on to a wild card playoff spot. Stafford won’t replace Kane’s production, but he will provide a bit of scoring as a third-line winger. He scored nine goals with an awful Sabres team and also brings valuable leadership and playoff experience to a young Winnipeg squad.
Myers could be the real prize in this trade because at 6-foot-8 with puck-moving ability, a heavy shot and above-average playmaking skills, the former Calder Trophy winner has the potential to be a legitimate top-pairing defenseman.
Myers’ scoring totals have decreased in each of the last three non-lockout seasons after he tallied a career high 48 points as a rookie in 2009-10. That said, Winnipeg now has an abundance of offensive talent on their blue line with Dustin Byfuglien, Jacob Trouba, Tobias Enstrom and Myers.
Winnipeg also acquired two top prospects from Buffalo — Joel Armia and Brendan Lemieux. Armia was selected 16th overall in the 2011 draft and has posted 52 points in 82 career AHL games. He’s 21 years old with just one game of NHL experience on his résumé. Armia projects to be a top-six winger and a reliable goal scorer with the ability to play a power forward’s game.
Lemieux was chosen 31st overall by the Sabres in last year’s draft and is on pace to shatter his career high in scoring at the OHL level. He’s scored 35 goals with 15Â assists in just 45 games for the Barrie Colts this season and has first-line potential in the NHL. He’s also the son of former Conn Smythe Trophy winner Claude Lemieux.
The additions of Armia and Lemieux give the Jets one of the most impressive prospect pools in the league. They have a surplus of top-end talent, which is a huge plus for a franchise that isn’t likely to land marquee players through free agency.
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The final piece of the trade going Winnipeg’s way is a 2015 first-round draft pick, which is quite valuable because this draft is loaded with depth and talent at every position. Buffalo had three first-round picks to give — their own and ones from the New York Islanders and St. Louis Blues. Winnipeg can use this pick to add to its prospect depth or package it in a deal closer to the trade deadline and improve the current roster.
Thumbnail photo via Bruce Fedyck/USA TODAY Sports Images
