It's come to the point in the off-season where the little bits of info leaked to various media around the NHL seem to consolidate for some stories or news and more interestingly, fun speculation. This off-season like last and the one before has the Winnipeg Jets very own Evander Kane on some 'want lists' as evidence by a recent article in Pittsburgh Tribune.
Kevin Allen, from USA Today, has written a piece explaining that there could be a lot of action at the draft this summer due to cap space availability and other reasons. It makes for exciting times for hockey fans and brings out the 'armchair GM' in everyone. It still begs the question though, why does anyone want Evander Kane?
Kane has been unusually silent via social media this off-season. He has not even tweeted about NBA games as he did last year let alone comment on how he feels about not being in the post season. In fact, Kane like almost everyone within the Jets organization aside from those in the WHCs, are eerily silent. Gone and vanished into another long off-season.
If I was planning on trading Kane I'd raise his profile a bit more if not already then very soon. I'd want his name out and about not as a trade rumour but as a person. A guy doing things away from hockey and being that 'magical' figure all hockey fans assume stars are. That's not happening at all and I'm curious as to why because I don't think many teams want him.
Aside from a guy who apparently has 'loads of upside' on the ice, Kane has some serious baggage issues that no one is attempting to deal with. These issues may not be real at all, but they are talked about.
The guy is a lousy team mate He doesn't pay bar tabs He's a 'me first' player He doesn't listen to coaches He's selfish on the ice He wants to play in a big city He will accuse fans/cities of racism Won't respect media
What is being done to change his image? Nothing. Why is that? Probably because he's not going anywhere because Chevy has no desire to move him until the the on-ice performance drowns out all the other noise. At this point it doesn't matter if what is perceived about Evander Kane is right or wrong- it's there.
Of course that doesn't change what he can do on the ice, however it may change what a GM will offer for him. Take the Tribune article where it was suggested that James Neal be offered for Kane. If Neal is a bonafide sniper (as mentioned in the article) why do the Pens want to ditch him and why would Kane be better? If the Pens can sell Chevy that a change of scenery is all each player needs then Jets fans have bigger issues to worry about. The challenge now is if media in Pittsburgh feel that's a fair deal how are they arriving at the valuations?
If you suspect the obvious, that the list of above factors is influencing how teams value Kane, why then would you want a player who's resume has those asterisks at the bottom?
It makes no sense to anyone on the outside of the inner workings of the NHL trade dialogues. It might not make any sense to those on the inside, but we're hear on the outside and don't know that either. What we know is that not one person, not one insider from whatever your preferred media brand is has said Kane's name is 'out there'.
The always impeccable Elliotte Friedman has stated that often he hears from other team executives not related to a player's team who tell him about that player being available. It makes sense and still, nothing on Kane. Ever.
This leads to one and/or two possible conclusions. Chevy has told teams he is not selling him at any cost so stop asking or no one is asking about him.
The reason why Kane's name consistently comes up in rumours is because of that above list and how people interpret or perceive that information. The tendency in society is to bend information to our natural prejudices. We all have prejudices, just that most of them are not grossly offensive. Many might struggle with that list about Kane based on their natural prejudices, draw some conclusions about him and stoke a trade fire that never had smoke to begin with. Those are the same people who should be questioning whether he should be trader for at all, funny how that works.
The basic point here, one that has to be reminded to all again and again, is what makes the Jets better by trading Kane? Don't answer with a stock 'prospect and solid depth players' please. Name some players on a team and explain why the deal works. That's what GMs have to do and if all those reasons to trade Kane are so sound, why would anyone take on that same player?
It's another off season and another round of Kane rumours, and that elicits another piece about why trading him, and now for him, is dumb. Let's end it this way, unless you want to overpay for him he's exactly the type of player the Jets need to find more, not lose. They have four more seasons at a 5.25 million cap hit to get 'more' of those players so where does the urgency come from? It's not like Chevy is out hunting down free agents or un-drafted college players for no asset costs.
Of course I could be wrong and he's moved for all the wrong reasons because that's the way these things happen right?