The Jets lost last night and I missed it so I’ll write about the only thing that really has anyone interested in the Jets: Evander Kane.
Depending on how much you believe in the saying ‘where there’s smoke there’s fire’, to some degree you probably believe Kane wants out or a trade is inevitable. Today there as a piece in the Ed Willes column in the Province and in the always good 30 Thoughts by Elliotte Friedman there was another mention of Kane, point #17.
I’ve tweeted about it, others have brought it up and now we’re getting input from those further away about the relationship between Kane and the Jets.
So let’s do this! Let’s trade the guy.
We’ll start with the Canucks, which is Kane’s home. How about Edler and a 1st for Kane? The Canucks have to get some salary out to make this work and if the recent Torts rant on Edler, as Friedman noted in his column, is any indication perhaps Edler would look at Winnipeg as Shangri-la. The dollars sure match and the Jets would have a stud defense line but no scoring. That is until you trade Buff!
Or the deal bantered about on Twitter today as an option: Horvat, Shinkaruk and a first. I’d be driving Kane to the airport if I was Chevy- why wouldn’t he take this deal? First because he wants help now but is the team any worse off without Kane right now? Look at the prospect pool should that happen, Trouba, Morrissey, Scheifele, Petan, Lowry, Horvat, and Shinkaruk. Whoa! Hey it fits right into the 7 year plan no?
What about a team in the east, a division that seems to play far more attack-style hockey than the west? Kane for Plekanec and a pick. The salaries are kind of a wash but he is 31 years old so the Habs would have to throw more in to sweeten the deal but there might be some common ground. Would the Habs consider Galchenyuk straight up for Kane? I’m sure the Jets wouldn’t mind but that seems a stretch.
How about down in the sunshine state? Kane to Florida for Kulikov and more would be interesting but Chevy, more so than other GMs, is probably not going to take another chance on a young Russian. Maybe Shawn Mathias and a 1st round pick plus is being considered or offered. It’s probably being laughed at if it is though.
The Islanders are moving to Brooklyn and that’s close to NYC so of course Kane should be considered going there. One suggestion from Twitter was Okposo for Kane straight up. That has some merit but I suspect Chevy to drive for more than a 1 for 1 hockey deal. How do Islanders fans feel about that? Perhaps the idea of Tavares having Kane on his wing is almost too mesmerizing to consider reality.
Old division rival Carolina may come calling and would you consider Skinner for Kane? I would and I think most would also consider the ‘Canes GM to be out of a job if he did so but perhaps a simple change of scenery puts both these guys back on their former trajectories. Similar deals in terms of time and money make an easy one for one deal. It’s a hockey deal though and that just never happens but I bet Evander would love being back down south again.
Have we missed any logical destinations? The simple, cold hard truth is that Winnipeggers, the Jets and Kane need to brace for another winter of trade speculation around the talented left-winger and former 30 goal scorer. That may be the last straw since moving to Winnipeg and come trade deadline he’s gone.
If, and it’s a big IF, deals and options are being looked at, Kane himself would do a big favour to everyone if he got healthy and on the ice. He’d make himself even more valuable if he learned to play with what he has instead of thinking he can or has to do it all alone, but that’s a whole other issue.