It is "What the Ek Wednesday" and we are one week away from the trade deadline! In the comment thread of this blog, ask your questions..I will respond to as many as I can in the next blog or during the Podcast today at 1pm.
In case you haven't noticed, Evander Kane is killing it right now.
*He is now on pace to get over 30 goals.
* His 21 goals place put him at 25th in NHL goal scoring.
* Only Evander Kane and TJ Oshie are in the top 50 despite playing less than 50 games.
* He has 1 more goal than Connor McDavid and Patrick Kane, but both of those superstars have each played 12 more games than Evander.
* Since December 1, only Sidney Crosby has scored more goals.
And the Sabres are only 4 points out of a playoff spot with 22 games to go despite the fact that Jack Eichel missed 21 of the team's first 60 games..
And yet, it wasn't too long ago that Kane was considered "untrade-able" because of inconsistent play and off-ice questions...
So the Sabres and their fans are curious if this is a sell-high moment for Kane. And it probably is. There is no doubt that Kane's value is as high as it has been. Which got me thinking...
Do NHL teams ever actually "Sell High?" In other words do players who are viewed as question marks get dealt when they are playing their best hockey? And despite the fact we talk about this all the time, I can't honestly remember one instance when a player, like Kane, has been "sold high." Or perhaps I should say, "Sold at his perceived highest value."
As much as GMs talk about players like assets, and we compare them to stocks, this really doesn't seem to happen. Can you remember an instance?
Who likes him?
LA has been hot and cold on Kane, but this past week GM Dean Lombardi flew across the country to watch Kane in person. What does that tell you? Lombardi doesn't make that trip unless he is intrigued and been told that the player is obtainable...
Montreal has scouted him several times, and Anaheim and Colorado have been tracking him as well.
Could he go for Duchene or Landeskog?
I don't believe so, only because Colorado needs to be 100% sure of the assets they bring in from either of those two top players...
Will Buffalo, or Should Buffalo move Kane?
Before last week that answer would have been a yes for certain, but now there appears to be a push to keep him as a key part of the team moving forward. Is that legit or a negotiating move by the Sabres? It depends who I talk to. Some fully believe that Kane is vital for the Sabres moving forward and that he needs to be retained...Others are questioning the sudden uptick as Kane playing at a higher level to get a new contract or even attract a trade...
What say you?
On TuneIn Radio
Try Relay: the free SMS and picture text app for iPhone.
Join the Discussion:
»