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In a blockbuster trade, the Boston Bruins have acquired forward Rick Nash for five pieces of draft currency.
Buffalo Sabres GM Jason Botterill is licking his chops right now because if the soon to be 34 year old Nash was sold for five pieces, the 26 year old Evander Kane should be traded for the same level of compensation.
Now that Nash trade is done, I expect the Sabres to trade Kane today.
The Bruins are in Buffalo tonight.
Here's the full statement released by the Bruins:
Boston Bruins General Manager Don Sweeney announced today, February 25, that the team has acquired forward Rick Nash from the New York Rangers in exchange for forward Ryan Spooner , forward Matt Beleskey , defenseman Ryan Lindgren, a 2018 first-round draft pick and a 2019 seventh-round draft pick. The Rangers will retain half of Nash's remaining salary, while the Bruins will retain half of Beleskey's remaining salary.
Nash, who is in his 15th NHL season in 2017-18, has appeared in 60 games with New York, tallying 18 goals and 10 assists for 28 points. The 6-foot-4, 211-pound forward has spent the last six seasons with the Rangers and enjoyed his best season with the club in 2014-15, when he notched a career-high 42 goals and 27 assists for 69 points with a career-best plus-29 rating. Nash came to New York via trade in the summer of 2012 after spending his first nine seasons with the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Nash is expected to join the team in Buffalo and will be eligible for tonight's game.
Don Sweeney will be available to media prior to tonight's game in Buffalo at KeyBank Center. Exact time and location to be confirmed later today.
Nash is the Blue Jackets' all-time leader in games played (674), goals (289), assists (258) and points (547). The 33-year-old winger earned the Maurice Richard Trophy in 2003-04 after scoring an NHL-best 41 goals. He is a six-time All-Star (2003-04, 2006-07, 2007-08, 2008-09, 2010-11, 2014-15) and a two-time Olympic gold medalist with Team Canada (2010, 2014).
Nash has skated in 1,049 career NHL games with New York and Columbus, totaling 434 goals (fifth among active players) and 365 assists for 799 points. He has also appeared in 77 career postseason games, recording 15 goals and 26 assists for 41 points.
The Brampton, Ontario native was originally selected by Columbus in the first round (1st overall) of the 2002 NHL Entry Draft.
Spooner, 26, has nine goals and 16 assists for 25 points in 39 games with Boston this season. The 5-foot-10, 184-pound forward has appeared in 253 career NHL games, all with Boston, and has recorded 41 goals and 101 assists for 142 points.
Beleskey, 29, has appeared in 14 games with Boston this season, and has also produced four goals and two assists for six points in 21 AHL games with Providence. The 6-foot, 203-pound forward has compiled 75 goals and 82 assists for 157 points in 472 career NHL games with Boston and Anaheim.
Lindgren, 20, has two goals and five assists for seven points in 33 games with the University of Minnesota this season. The 6-foot, 198-pound defenseman was selected by Boston in the second round (49th overall) of the 2016 NHL Entry Draft.
More to come....
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It's Sunday Febrary 25.
It's been 38 months since Tim Murray and the Buffalo Sabres traded for Evander Kane.
Murray received Kane and defenseman Zach Bogosian a package that included defenseman Tyler Myers, forward Drew Stafford, Joel Armia, Brendan Lemieux and a first-round pick that became forward Jack Roslovich.
The trade was supposed to exacerbate the Buffalo transition from doormat to contender. The plan hasn't manifested itself yet. Still we wait to see if and when it will.
With Kane in the lineup, Sabres fans have had very little if anything to cheer about. Kane has had his own individual success while the Sabres as a team have not progressed.
The Boston Bruins are in Buffalo for a 5pm EDT early bird special.
If you have tickts to the games, you won't be watching Kane, 26, who will likely be traded to a contending team today.
The time has come.
Kane and the Sabres will say their respective goodbye and move on.
Kane is a player in hot demand on the trade market. I've been writing about Kane and his high market value since May 2016. That is when the NHL Draft was held in Buffalo. That is also when the Anaheim Ducks and Buffalo Sabres were oh so close to completing a grade for the power forwrd to wing westward. The Ducks were seemingly willing to send defenseman Cam Folwer to the Sabres in a trade for Kane, however, the deal fell apart when the Tim Murray refused to include his eighth overall pick in the deal. Murray would invest the eighth overall pick in forward Alex Nylander, who has yet to earn a full time job in Buffalo.
June 2016 is also when Kane had a brush with local law enforcement on the eve of the NHL Draft in Buffalo.
Needless to say, the Kane to Anaheim trade never materialized. Howvere, as I have been telling you in this exact space since June 2016, Ducks GM Bob Murray has maintained his interest in acquiring the young, dominant power forward.
Fast forward to February 25, 2017.
Kane is healthy, productive, and looking for a new destination where he can play in his first ever Stanley Cup playoff game, and many others.
Have I not been telling you that Anaheim are in on Kane? My eyes don’t lie. My sources are impeccably informed.
If you don't believe me, Bob McKenzie will confirm what I have been telling you for years. The Ducks still want Kane. Many other teams also want Kane to play for there teams today.
Once the Rick Nash to Boston trade is completed, Kane will be flying the friendly skies to a playoff hockey locale. Yes, Anaheim is in on Kane. San Jose is also in the conversation.
Vancouver, LA, Calgary, New Jersey, Pittsburgh, Carolina, NY Islanders, Columbus, Nashville and others are also in on Kane. These teams, and others, love Kane's age, experience level and ability to play the high speed, high skill, heavy, sand papery, in-your-face style.
Kane has scored 20 goals and 20 assists in 61 games played this season. He will end up with 30 goals scored.
In 196 games in three seasons with the Sabres, Kane has scored 68 goals and 50 assists for 118 points. In the Buffalo chapter of his career, Kane has 56 even strength goals, 8 PPG, 4 SHG, and 10 GWG.
Kane has accumulated 261 PIMs in Buffalo.
In 557 career games with Atlanta, Winnipeg and Buffalo, Kane has scored 177 goals and 163 assists for 340 points and 646 PIMs.
Rick Nash, 33, embodies only some of the traits that make Kane unique. Kane is the total package. He has the speed, the shot, the courage, the physicality, the hand-eye coordination and leadership characteristics found in today’s elite NHl players.
Kane is mature beyond his NHL years and he is going to make a profound impact on the roster of his next team.
Philadelphia has entered the picture in the past few days. That is when Flyers GM Ron Hextall learned about the injuries to his two goalies Brian Elliott and Mike Neuvirth, plus power winger Wayne Simmonds. Elliott had surgery and is out for two months. Neuvirth is our long term. Simmonds was injured in a fight last Sunday against the NY Rangers. What is the exact extent of the injury to Simmonds? How long will the power winger be plagued by said injury? It's to be determined. Hextall added a goalie this week in Pete Mrazek and reportedly has gotten the go ahead to add a valuable offensive piece to his current roster for the stretch run.
Hextall is also thinking preemptively because he does not want on a Metro Division rival like the Devils, Penguins, Islanders, Blue Jackets or Hurricanes.
Evander Kane in Philly? Forget about it. Kane would become an instant fan favorite there.
McKenzie also confirms what I have been saying ad nauseum for the past two years in that teams interested in Kane do not see him as a trade deadline rental only. Trading for Kane today gives the franchise four months to sell Kane on the idea of signing a seven year, $49 million contract extension after the Stanley Cup is awarded. Having Kane in your employ for four months gives you first position negotiating rights with he and his agents at Newport Sports Management come July 1. It would be very easy for Kane to say yes to a long term extension if he plays meaningful hockey games in May and June. Hell, if he wins a Cup with the Ducks, why wouldn't they and he want to get married for the next seven years?
What assets will Vancouver, LA, Calgary, New Jersey, Pittsburgh, St. Louis, Carolina, NY Islanders, Columbus, Nashville and others have to part with to acquire Kane?
Teams moving on to the final round are leading with an "A" prospect, a roster player and a first round draft choice. Teams that do not have a 2018 firsts rounder to their name are said to be including a former first round prospect. Case in point, Pittsburgh and St. Louis do not iwn their 208 first rounders. In lieu of a first rounder, these teams will have to ante up another "A" prospect on top of their "A" prospect already in the deal.
These are the prospects I'm asking for if I'm Botterill as currency in Kane deal:
Ducks: Sam Steel (C), Max Jones (LW), Kalle Kossila (C)
Sharks: Danny O'Regan (LW), Jeremy Roy (RD)
Flyers: Travis Sanheim (D), Sam Morin (D)
Canucks: Olli Juolevi (D), Elias Pettersson (C), Jonah Gadjovich (LW), Cole Lind (RW), Adam Gaudette (C)
Golden Knights: Erik Brännström (D), Cody Glass (C), Nick Suzuki (C), Nick Hague (D)
Kings: Kale Clague (D), Paul LaDue( D)
Flames: Adam Fox (D), Jusso Valimaki (D), Rasmus Andersson (D), Dylan Dube (C/RW), Oscar Kylington (D)
Devils: Mike McLeod (C), Steven Santini (D)
Penguins: Daniel Sprong (LW), Sam Militec (LW/C)
Blues: Jordan Kyrou (C), Jordan Schmaltz (D), Robert Thomas (C), Tage Thompson (C), Klim Kostin (RW)
Hurricanes: Haydn Fleury (D), Jake Bean (D), Martin Necas (C)
Islanders: Kiefer Bellows (C/RW), Ryan Pulock (D), Michael DalColle (LW)
Blue Jax: Gabriel Karlsson (D), Sonny Milano (LW), Tyler Motte (C)
Predators: Eeli Tolvanen (LW), Dante Fabbro (D)
Let's see how many pieces Nash is traded for. I suspect three premium pieces, maybe four.
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