After his first year with the Sabres it seemed trade talks always centered around star winger Evander Kane.
Well, the phone lines are buzzing yet again.
According to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman, there are suitors for the winger and he could be heading to the West Coast.
“The other thing we’re hearing is Buffalo. Evander Kane – he’s an unrestricted free agent after next season," Friedman said during Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final. "He has one year left on his deal and the word is that the LA Kings are one of the teams interested and I think Sabres are willing to do it if LA and them are willing to strike a deal.”
Heading into a season where it's playoffs or bust for the Blue & Gold, on the surface, a deal to trade Kane is a head scratcher.
If the price is right and the Sabres are able to nab a top-four offensive minded defenseman, does it make sense? Sure.
But, keep in mind finding a natural goal scorer is tough to do and replacing Kane's production is easier said than done.
Some numbers to consider:
While they scored the the fifth most power play goals with 57, Buffalo failed to produce at even strength scoring the third fewest goals in the league with 126.
Kane had 25 even strength goals for the Sabres a year ago - 11 more than the next highest scorer on the team, Jack Eichel, who had only 14 5-on-5 goals during the 2016-2017 season.
Kane isn't without his flaws, but he provides more than scoring -- he's a physical player who isn't afraid to throw down.
The -17 isn't a good look either, however he's not the only guy on the team that needs to do a better job of being a two-way player.
