February 11, 2015
The Buffalo Sabres have acquired forward Evander Kane as part of an eight-player blockbuster trade with the Winnipeg Jets, the National Hockey League teams said on Wednesday.
The Jets dealt Kane, defenseman Zach Bogosian and goalie Jason Kasdorf to the Sabres for defenseman Tyler Myers, forward Drew Stafford, prospects Joel Armia and Brendan Lemieux and a first-round draft pick in 2015.
Kane, the fourth overall pick in the 2009 NHL Draft, will not be able to play until next season after having season-ending shoulder surgery this week. His recovery is expected to take as long as six months.
The 23-year-old forward, considered the centerpiece of the trade, had 10 goals and 22 points in 37 games this season. In the 2011-12 campaign, Kane led the Jets with 30 goals and, at 20 years old, was the youngest 30-goal scorer that season.
Bogosian, the third overall pick in the 2008 NHL Draft who is playing in his seventh season, has three goals and 10 assists this season while averaging 22 minutes per game.
Kasdorf, 22, selected by Winnipeg in the sixth round of the 2011 NHL Draft, is playing college hockey at Rensselaer.
Myers, 25, was Buffalo's first-round pick in 2008 and has four goals and nine assists in 47 games this year. He was the NHL's rookie of the year in 2010 after posting 48 points in 82 games with the Sabres.
Stafford, 29, has spent his entire NHL career with the Sabres since the team made him afirst-round pick in 2004. He nine goals and 15 assists in 50 games this year.
Armia has been playing this season for the American Hockey League's Rochester Americans and Lemieux is with the Ontario Hockey League's Barrie Colts.
The first-round pick going to Winnipeg will be the lowest of the three that Buffalo owns.
