Evander Kane Showed Winnipeg Jets Fans why we Traded him
It was the annual, or dual-annual game. Doesn’t it seem almost every time we meet up with the Buffalo Sabres it’s around the noon hour on a weekend? The Jets have an incredibly bad track record in those games, against a team that has a embarrassing record themselves. Whether this is a trend we continue to see or not, these two teams will forever be linked for the biggest multi-player trade in the past decade. All Winnipeg Jets fans need to see is they got the better of the deal, and Evander Kane himself is showing us why we did.
When the Jets arrived in Winnipeg, all the hype was around one young speedster, Evander Kane. He showed Winnipeg on multiple occasions why he deserved it. Ultimately, his attitude got the best of him, and to avoid any unwanted drops in team morale, Kane was shipped to Buffalo. To this day, Kane still has two years left on his contract the Jets signed him to, for $5.25 Million per season.
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Kane hasn’t changed since the move, in fact, we’ve seen more of what we saw late in his time with the Jets. Kane only has one move to attempt creation of offense, and it’s showing up on the score sheet exactly why he needs to re-invent himself. Every time he has space, he flies down his left-wing, before firing a shot that almost always misses the net on the top right side. The amount of goals he scores that way is minimal. His nine goals this season all came in a span of 15 games, and were all off extended pressure in the offensive zone, finished by a quick pass to Kane.
His work ethic is dwindling as well. He’s a turnover machine, and the more concerning factor is he doesn’t try to get the pucks back. He’s still an effective player on the penalty kill, as his speed can come in handy to break up plays. Unfortunately, he picks and chooses when a good time to try would be. He has no desire in the neutral zone, as well as in the defensive zone.
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Off the ice Kane still can’t control himself. Despite not having any charges laid against him since the off-season, he’s still a negative body. Who has the most influence on young players like Jack Eichel? Kane of course. Legal issues aren’t the only thing hindering his ice-time, it’s also injuries. Kane gets a serious injury almost every season, and can’t stay in the Sabres lineup for more than 15 games at a time. His 25 million dollars owed to him is almost paid from his huge contract. So what’s his next move? Where’s his next contract? Does he get one?
Any interested teams could take a quick look at his resume. One time 30 goal scorer, quite some time ago. Often has a negative attitude, and gets in trouble with the law. Work ethic is questionable, yet his speed, and potential are promising.
I will leave it there. 20 goals a season isn’t too hard to find. Would any team want to take on his risks? Winnipeg, be glad the Jets moved Kane, before he ran out of value.
