Evander Kane's tenure with the Winnipeg Jets has come to an end in grand style, thanks to Buffalo Sabres general manager Tim Murray.
With a major appetite to include a player of Kane's ilk as a key brick in the rebuilding process - and despite the winger being out for the foreseeable future following shoulder surgery - Murray got ahead of the competition Tuesday, closing a massive seven-player deal.
Heading to Winnipeg is Tyler Myers, Drew Stafford, Joel Armia, Brendan Lemieux and a first-round pick (the lowest of Buffalo's three), with Kane, Zach Bogosian and unsigned goalie Jason Kasdorf going the other way.
The thing with this trade is that everyone knew Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff was in sell mode concerning Kane after an incident with teammates left the winger essentially estranged from the locker room.
With that in mind, he was still able to reel in a very nice haul that can help his team's run to the playoffs and also down the road.
Stats-wise, Myers and Stafford won't blow anyone out of the water, but there's certainly something to be said for what they might be able to accomplish outside the dregs of Buffalo and into the heat of the battle for a Western Conference playoff spot.
The Jets have added a big 25-year-old Calder Trophy winner in Myers, who can move the puck out of his zone and level anyone who enters, and who's under contract for the next four seasons at a relatively team-friendly cap hit. Stafford, an impending unrestricted free agent, is a capable depth forward with the knack for finding the back of the net, and he'll look to finish strong with a view to his next contract.
Armia and Lemieux were considered Buffalo's top prospects on the wing, and, as first- and second-round draft picks, bring a pedigree that suggests they can be useful NHL roster players within the next few years.
The Jets have done well not to rush their own draft picks, meaning there's another wave of highly-touted prospects in the pipeline to add to the already seemingly playoff-ready squad.
The additions come at a price, of course, as the Jets part with a potentially prolific goal-scorer in Kane - who already has a 30-goal season on his resume - and a bruising presence on the blue line in the form of Bogosian, a third overall pick in 2008 (drafted nine spots ahead of Myers).
The 24-year-old Kane appears destined to return next season entering the prime of his career with Connor McDavid or Jack Eichel feeding him passes for years to come. He's the kind of player the club needs to expedite the building process, and should thrive outside what appears to have become a toxic environment.
Both teams appear to have emerged from negotiations feeling satisfied over a job well done. The early edge, however, goes to the Jets, if only for adding valuable pieces for the present and future in exchange for a player everyone knew was unlikely to put on their jersey ever again.
