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Kane Packing His Bags?

July 8, 2014, 6:53 PM ET [54 Comments]
GARTH'S CORNER
NHL news by Garth • RSSArchiveCONTACT
Evander Kane is going to be traded this summer. Bet the house on it.

The Winnipeg Jets have had enough of the 22 year old sniper just as much as he's had enough of the management team.

Kane will be 23 next month and despite being a frequent flyer in former head coach Claude Noel's dog house last season, Kane still managed to pot 19 goals (on 250 shots) and 22 assists in 63 games played. Excellent production for a youngster who dealt with injuries and criticism for most of last season. There is no denying his sniping abilities.

He has scored 99 goals and 200 points in 324 career NHL games. He has never played in the playoffs. He's earned 329 PIMs as well.

Power. Forward.

Building block.



Winnipeg's loss will be another team's gain.


On Tuesday, Kane dumped unleaded gasoline on an open flame when he spoke with Vancouver's Team 1040 radio about whether or not he wants to play for the Jets anymore.

Team 1040 Host: Evander do you want to play for the Winnipeg Jets anymore?

Kane: Well, I think I'm a Winnipeg Jet right now, and, you know, there's been speculation and rumors the three years since I got there. So, you know, we'll see what happens and we'll carry on as if I'm a Winnipeg Jet.

Team 1040 Host: There’s not a yes in there, and some Jets fans might say, why doesn’t he want to play for us? Or why isn’t he absolutely fully on board for playing for us?... you’re shaking your finger at me.

Kane: I’m training hard and getting ready for this season, and last summer I didn’t have a full year of training due to some surgery I had, so I found it really important for me to start training early and get myself in the best shape possible for this season. So that’s my focus."




Not necessarily a ringing endorsement for Kane loving his life in The Peg.

Kane has four years left on his contract with the Jets that pays him an average salary of $6 million per season.




Buffalo GM Tim Murray can take a quantum leap forward in his re-tooling of the Sabres by making a trade for Kane. I think that Ted Nolan and Evander Kane would form a special bond.





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In April, NHL.com's Mike Morreale asked nine hockey talent evaluators from NHL Central Scouting who their number one overall pick would be for 2015 NHL Draft.

Connor McDavid or Jack Eichel?

McDavid scored a narrow 5-4 win over Eichel.

Right now, its too close to call.


The 2014-15 season will go a long way to deciding once and for all who the #1 overall pick will be for the 2015 NHL Draft.

"Every year the scouts think that it's a good crop of prospects," Dan Marr, Director of NHL Central Scouting, said. "There's just been a little more emphasis in 2015 because there's been a couple more top-end frontrunners and the fact that there were a number of underage players performing in their various junior leagues and performing well. That leads to high expectations for this draft class."


The debate will continue to rage on now that NHL Central Scouting's Futures List for North America and Europe has been published.

"The list is based on the body of work that we saw from the players during 2013-14," Marr said. "A number of these players will be changing teams for 2014-15 and that will be reflected in our preliminary players to watch list in September."


Morreale wrote:

Marr said the summer scouting cycle began in June with the United States Under-17 select camp in Amherst, N.Y. Among the big scouting events on the agenda are the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament from Aug. 11-16 in Slovakia and Czech Republic; the CCM/USA Hockey All-American Prospects Game on Sept. 25 in Buffalo, N.Y.; the CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game on Jan. 22, 2015 in St. Catharine's, Ont.; and the USHL/NHL Top Prospects Game in January at a location to be announced.

A number of scouts believe the 2015 draft is loaded with talent, so much so that it may one day rival the 2003 draft. Heading the pack are McDavid and Eichel.

In March 2012 McDavid (6-foot, 185 pounds) was granted exceptional player status by Hockey Canada to be eligible for the 2012 OHL draft as a 15-year-old. Less than a month later Erie made him the first pick of the draft and he went on to win the OHL Rookie of the Year award in 2012-13. Last season he was fourth in the OHL in scoring with 99 points (28 goals, 71 assists) in 56 regular-season games, and he has 53 goals and 165 points in 119 OHL games. He also earned a spot with Canada at the 2014 IIHF World Junior Championship, becoming the sixth 16-year-old to play for Canada at the WJC, following Sidney Crosby, Eric Lindros, Jason Spezza, Jay Bouwmeester and Wayne Gretzky.

Eichel (6-1, 191), a likely participant in the All-American Prospects Game, led the United States National Team Development Program Under-18 team with 32 goals and 71 points in 43 games despite being the youngest player on the team. He played for the United States at the 2014 WJC and had five points in five games.


I'm eager to see both players compete live in person this season. Eichel will likely appear at the CCM/USA Hockey All-American Prospects Game on September 25 at First Niagara Center in Buffalo.

McDavid will continue his assault on the Ontario Hockey League from his bunker in Erie, PA.




Who are the other notable prospects at the top of the Central Scouting List?

Dylan Strome- Erie Otters
Lawson Crouse-Kingston Frontenacs
Travis Konecny of the Ottawa 67's.
Mathew Barzal, Ethan Bear, Ryan Gropp- Seattle Thunderbirds
David Henley, Kameron Kielly and Daniel Sprong-Charlottetown Islanders

USHLers:

Noah Hanifin, Colin White, Jordan Greenway



Top Goalies:

Callum Booth- Quebec Remparts
Mackenzie Blackwood- Barrie Colts




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