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Report: Buffalo Sabres acquire Evander Kane from Winnipeg Jets

By Cory Buck

Jan 18, 2015; Winnipeg, Manitoba, CAN; Winnipeg Jets forward Evander Kane (9) prior to the game against the Arizona Coyotes at MTS Centre. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Fedyck-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 18, 2015; Winnipeg, Manitoba, CAN; Winnipeg Jets forward Evander Kane (9) prior to the game against the Arizona Coyotes at MTS Centre. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Fedyck-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Buffalo Sabres and Winnipeg Jets agreed to a blockbuster deal that sends winger Evander Kane to Buffalo in exchange for Tyler Myers, Drew Stafford, and more.

The first piece has fallen in the build-up to the NHL trade deadline and this one is a doozy. After months (or years even) of chatter that the Winnipeg Jets weren’t happy with budding star Evander Kane’s attitude, the team has finally made good on its talk and moved Kane to the Buffalo Sabres in one of the biggest trades to hit the league in some time. TSN’s Darren Dreger broke the deal.

That other element was a small toss-in from Winnipeg to Buffalo, goaltending prospect Jason Kasdorf. If those names don’t add up in tweet form, don’t worry. We’re going to break this one down, piece by piece.

Winnipeg gets:

Defenseman Tyler Myers, winger Drew Stafford, forward prospects Joel Armia and Brendan Lemieux, as well as the lowest of Buffalo’s three first-round picks in the 2015 NHL draft.

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Tyler Myers was the 12th overall pick in the 2008 draft and the Rookie-of-the-Year in 2010 for Buffalo, a surprising season in which the team won its division. That still stands as Myers’ best in the NHL, but that didn’t stop the team from signing him to a seven-year deal after his rookie contract expired. Since then, Myers has fallen out of favor some, but his talent speaks for itself.

Drew Stafford is a bit piece, meant to replace Kane’s slot on the wing. He will be an unrestricted free agent after this season. Stafford also has a 30-goal season to his credit, which offers promise for the Jets, who are in the thick of the Western Conference playoff race.

Joel Armia and Brendan Lemieux stand at different points in their development arc, but both offer promise as forwards. Armia could very well be ready for the NHL next year while Lemieux currently plays in junior hockey.

Buffalo gets:

Evander Kane, the fourth overall selection in the 2009 draft, entered his sixth season in the league amid great controversy for perceived attitude issues. One thing everyone can agree on is the skill of the 6’2″ winger, who scored 30 goals in the NHL before his 21st birthday. Kane is the centerpiece of this deal and the best overall player going in either direction.

Zach Bogosian was the third overall pick in the 2008 draft and his career has been remarkably similar to that of Myers.

Jason Kasdorf currently tends goal for the RPI college hockey team. He was a seventh round pick in 2011.

In all, both teams got a little bit of what they needed, at near equal cost. The Jets needed someone to fill the void for Kane, who is out for the season with injury, and the Sabres needed a top-end young forward to expedite their rebuild. In this deal, both teams appear to have won a share of the loot.

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