The NHL traded deadline is February 26, but with their fate pretty much sealed for this season, a bottom-dweller like the Buffalo Sabres has had ongoing trade talks for weeks with GM Jason Botterill reportedly fielding calls from numerous contending teams.
Buffalo's big trade chip is winger Evander Kane, a soon to be unrestricted free agent who happens to be having a career year. What's the market for a big, speedy 25-30 goal left winger who plays with an edge? Botterill is said to be looking for a first-rounder, a prospect and a conditional pick should Kane sign with the team he's traded to. Supply and demand will go a long way in dictating the return for Kane, but league-wide parity may help inch up the price a bit.
Kane has been in the Eastern Conference these past three years, but the prototypical powerforward seems built for a more rugged Western Conference. And if you don't think they still cherish old-school hockey out west, look no further than the recent LA Kings/Anaheim Ducks game with no love lost between two teams battling for Southern California dominance (video via Sportsnet.)
Although Kane may end up out west, word is that a team like the Pittsburgh Penguins might be interested in him as he does have the speed to play in a much faster (overall) Eastern Conference. After being on the outside looking in of a playoff position, the Pens are climbing back up as they're looking to make it three Stanley Cups in a row. Add in the fact that Botterill came from that organization (with three Cup rings himself,) and it makes for a very interesting possibility.
Here are a handful of potential destinations for Kane (in no particular order,) where they are in the standings, their cap-space (from CapFriendly) and what they may have to offer the Sabres via the draft plus their top-three prospects (from NHL.com) who might be available.
Los Angeles Kings (3rd, Pacific Division)
--Projected cap-space: $3.3 million
--2018 draft: hold their own 1st, 2nd and 3rd round picks.
Top prospects
--C, Gabe Vilardi (2017, 11th-overall) Has great size (6'3", 201 lbs.) and great hands (29 goals in 49 games for Windsor (OHL) last season
--D, Paul LaDue (2012, 181st) All-around, puck-moving d-man who has seen time on the Kings 2nd powerplay unit
--C, Jonny Brodzinski (2013, 148th) An NCAA product who likes to shoot and score.
San Jose' Sharks (4th, Pacific Division)
--Projected cap-space: $5.4M
--2018 draft: 1st, no second, no third
--F, Daniel O'Regan (2012, 138th) O'Regan was Jack Eichel's wingman at Boston University in 2014-15. "Fearless player" lead all AHL rookies with 58 (25+38) points last season.
--F, Joshua Norris (2017, 19th) Another NCAA product. Athletic, smart and a great skater
--D, Joakim Ryan (2012, 198th) Has been making his way up the ranks since his Cornell U days. "Quiet but effective"
--D, Jacob Larsson (2015, 27tth) Smooth-skating d-man who draws comparisons to fellow countryman and Ducks d-man, Hampus Lindholm
--C, Sam Steel (2016, 30th) Highly skilled center who posted 131 pts (50-81) last year for Regina Pats (WHL)
--LW, Nic Kerdiles (2012, 36th) Rugged, two-way player who's had some concussion issues since being drafted
Pittsburgh Penguins (4th, Metropolitan)
--Projected cap-space: $186K
--2018 draft: 1st, 2nd, no third
Top prospects
--RW, Daniel Sprong (2015, 46th) Offensive winger with great shot could be next in the long line of young, inexpensive forwards who make big contributions to the club.
--F, Zachary Aston-Reese (2017 free agent) Northeastern (NCAA) product scored 1.66/game his senior season, added eight points (3+5) in is first 10 pro games for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton
--G, Tristan Jarry (2013, 44th) Putting up impressive numbers after getting the call to Pittsburgh with a 9-3-2 record, 2.33 goals-against average and .923 save percentage
--D, Gabriel Carlsson (2016, 29th) Big (6'4" 192 lbs.) stay-at-home defender with a good first pass and a big shot from the point
--F, Vitaly Abramov (2016, 65th) Big offense (18 goals and 33 assists in 32 QMJHL games this year) from a smallish player (5'9" 172 lbs.) Almost made Jackets out of camp this year.
--C, Sam Vigneault (2017 FA) Hulking center (6'5" 203 lbs.) scored 10 game-winning goals in his 106-game career at Clarkson University
Join the Discussion:
»