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There has been a lot of conversation of late focused on Winnipeg Jet’s Evander Kane and the likeliness of him being traded. Given comments made through the media during interviews and over twitter, it appears that Kane may want out of the Jets organization.

The known to be feisty left winger has struggled over his last season or two which the 22 year old offers was due to injuries and not having full training camps. Since being drafted 4th overall by the Thrashers, now the Jets, in 2009, Kane has amassed 200pts in 324 NHL games.

For me, Kane is a very similar player to Toronto’s own 2009 draft pick, Nazem Kadri. Both players play with an edge, so to speak, and both have a higher level or ability to score goals. And while they share on-ice similarities, they are somewhat similar off the ice, as well; both speak their minds and are thought to be "cocky", and they are often the center of trade discussions from their respective media outlets.

Kane is currently under contract with the Jets through the 2017-18 NHL season with an annual cap hit of $5.25M. His best season to date saw him scoring 30 goals and registering 27 assists during the 2011-12 season, and many fans of opposing teams feel that those numbers were not an anomaly for the young forward.

While still very young and arguably raw, acquiring a player like Kane could be a good invested move for the Toronto Maple Leafs who are still looking to add a top 6 forward after losing some scoring from Mason Raymond.

That said, I'd like to put this to rest. Actually, Consuela from Family Guy put's it best.




The assets which a player like Evander Kane would cost will be sorely needed to acquire any added defensive depth which has been this team’s Achilles heel for the past few seasons. Toronto has some areas of concern which they need to care for, but trying to acquire a player like Kane should not be very high on their priority list.

Toronto needs to continue to focus on improving their defensive roster and by moving assets to acquire a player who, in my opinion, is too similar to a player currently on the roster in Nazem Kadri would be ill-advised. As mentioned, Kane will not come cheap and the Leafs are trying to build upon their future assets without moving any in the process, as was evident by their latest transactions.

Kadri is still very young in his own right, has a ton of potential and raw talent, and the mere thought of moving him in addition to other pieces to acquire a similar player in Kane makes little to no sense to me. I would argue that this wouldn't even be a lateral move for Toronto, and would be rather surprised if Nonis expressed too much interest in this players potential availability.

There is one thing certain at this point, however, and it is that Jet’s GM Kevin Cheveldayoff is listening to offers and will likely remain patient until said offers improve; offers I certainly hope do not come from the Toronto organization.

With respect to the Leafs’ prospect camp, there appears to be a lot of optimism to speak about so far.

Toronto’s 6th round draft selection from 2012 has certainly been catching the attention of many in the organization. Connor Brown, standing at 5’11 and 170lbs who was selected 251st overall, is started to show more promise than most had expected from someone drafted at his position.

“This is Connor’s third prospect camp so we know a lot of what he can do,” said Jim Hughes, the Leafs’ director of player development. “This kid works extremely hard five days a week, getting up and getting right at (training).”

And while a high work ethic, in addition to putting up a ton of points in the OHL is something that the Leafs should be excited about with this player, he’s also focusing a lot of his time and energy toward his 200ft game.

“Penalty killing is something I really pride myself on,” said Brown. “You want to be the best scorer in the league and show you can play defence, too.”

In addition to Connor, recently drafted Will Nylander has been turning some heads with some very strong puck movement and skating abilities. Throughout drills where puck handling and foot speed were being assessed, Nylander blew much of the competition out of the water as if he had the puck tied to a string.

And if anyone has given the young Swede any praise, it’s his fellow prospect and countryman Viktor Loov.

“Nylander is good, I would say he is one of the most skilled players to ever come from Sweden,” Loov, said. “He is a good skater, good with the stick, good offensively.”

While there may have been a lot of attention placed toward Nylander, Loov himself has gained a lot of attention for his remarkable skating and playmaking abilities throughout camp.

“Loov is very talented,” said Jim Hughes (team’s director of player development). “He’s graceful on his skates. A big body that plays physical. He’s looking for open-ice hits. He moves the puck, but what separates him is his skating ability.

“He skates on top of the ice. He doesn’t lose any traction. He gains speed. He’s got great power, great explosion, great acceleration. It makes everything in his game easier because his skating is so strong.”

This is music to just about anyone in the Leafs organization. A big bodied (6’2, 195lbs) defenseman who can skate, move the puck, and play physical. Drafted 209th overall, Loov is another late draft pick by Toronto who, like Connor Brown, is making a name for himself despite his draft position.

Loov remains under contract with MODO from the Swedish Elite league through 2014-15 and will likely try and make an impression to the coaching staff for next season.
Last update with respect to the Leafs training camp is toward netminder Antoine Bibeau who has been showing flashes of brilliances.

Not exactly weak when it comes to goaltending depth, the Toronto Maple Leafs are thought to be lacking a potential future starter in the organization. That all depends, of course, on how Bibeau continues to develop.

All things considered, Toronto’s prospects are showing strong signs of improvements each passing year, and some are really leaving good impressions on the coaches, something which was expressed by Leafs management during the camp.

It’s likely an unfamiliar feeling for many Leafs fans with respect to developing their own drafted players, given the history of trades over the past decade. That said, it appears that the team is less willing to make hasty moves in which potential future assets leave their organization and develop with a rival.

That’s all for this today, thanks for reading!

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