Wed, Feb 11, 2015 at 12:42pm

SABRES LAND EVANDER KANE IN BLOCKBUSTER

The Buffalo Sabres acquired winger Evander Kane, defenseman Zach Bogosian and goaltender Jason Kasdorf from the Winnipeg Jets for defenseman Tyler Myers, wingers Drew Stafford, Joel Armia and Brendan Lemieux, plus a first-round draft pick in 2015.

What does it give the Buffalo Sabres
This is a fascinating trade on many levels. The Sabres are in clear rebuilding mode, yet they felt comfortable trading away two solid winger prospects, one of their three 2015 first-round picks and their No. 1 defenseman (Myers)...plus an NCAA goaltending prospect. In return, the Sabres land a true power forward in the 23-year-old Kane--a mercurial talent who just recently underwent shoulder surgery and won't return to action until next season. Buffalo also gets Bogosian, who should replace Myers as the team's new No. 1 rearguard for now (and may stay at the top of the depth chart in the long run). Bogosian is still only 24 and another big building block for the Sabres. Kasdorf is a possible puck-stopping option for Buffalo down the road. Overall, the Sabres paid a lot to land two young veterans they hope will become major pieces in Western New York.

What does it give the Winnipeg Jets
This was a fantastic deal for the Jets, who dealt away a problem in Kane--who was recently chastised by his teammates and made a scratch for disciplinary reasons prior to going under the knife. They also were able to replace Bogosian with Myers in a fairly even swap of defensemen. Landing Stafford should also enable Winnipeg to move {P Dustin Byfuglien} back to defense, further bolstering the lineup for their playoff drive. Armia may be the key to this entire deal, however. He has supreme talent and scoring upside. Furthermore, Armia is only 21 years old. Lemieux is yet another solid winger prospect for the organization, while the first rounder is expected to be either the Islanders' or the Blues' pick--both property of the Sabres. Expect the Jets to now use some of their excess assets to seek even more veteran help. To that end, Lemieux, Armia and the newly-acquired pick could be jettisoned somewhere else.

Fantasy impact
Kane won't play again until next season but his fantasy prospects are sure to rise. At worst, he will probably play alongside Sabres center prospect {P Sam Reinhart}. There is also a strong possibility that Buffalo will land either {P Connor McDavid} or {P Jack Eichel} with their first pick in the June draft. All three of these playmaking centers should help Kane, as long as the latter is motivated to play upon his return. Stafford may also get a boost now that he's in Winnipeg. Myers may see less ice time (with better results) now that he's a Jet, so his fantasy stock should trend upward. Ditto Bogosian, who will now become the lynchpin of the Buffalo blueline. Byfuglien should also benefit from a return back to his preferred blueline position. Armia and Lemieux remain solid keeper-league prospects, and Armia may also have some late-season sleeper value.