NHL trade rumors: The Winnipeg Jets would be crazy to trade Evander Kane

Under the watchful eye of general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff the Winnipeg Jets have been the most boring team in the NHL.

They make zero trades of significance, sign nobody in free agency, and three years after the move the only difference between them and their days as the Atlanta Thrashers is that they play in a colder climate and in front of a more rabid fan base.

That’s why it’s so noteworthy that ahead of the NHL draft Cheveldayoff said, via the Canadian Press, that he is listening to offers for everybody on his roster. And that could be a big deal.

For as mediocre as the Jets have been in the standings the past few years, they have quite a few intriguing players on their roster that get overlooked or undervalued because goaltending continues to almost single handedly sink the team’s chances.

The Canadian Press mentions that teams probably shouldn’t waste their team asking for prized youngsters Jacob Trouba, Josh Morrissey or Mark Scheifle. If the Jets are committed to doing this thing the right way, there is another name that should be added to that list.

Evander Kane.

His name has been popping up in trade rumors for some time now and it’s almost as if it’s simply a matter of when, and not if a trade involving him happens (and if we’re to believe Twitter, he may not mind a move to Philadelphia!). If the Jets have any control over the situation, it should never come to that. Kane is the type of player a team should be trying to build around, not sell off for some magic beans and a collection of players that will probably never be as good as he is. If he’s available, 29 teams should be banging on the door and doing everything in their power to try to get him. If you have him, you should be hanging up the phone when people ask about him.

At 22, he has still yet to enter the prime of his career and is the rare combination of a young, skilled goal-scorer that is also already locked up to a long-term contract. His price is controlled, he still has room to get better, and he is already wildly productive given his age. Over the last three years Kane has scored at a 29 goal per 82-game pace. He already has one 30-goal season under his belt at the age of 20, something that only 23 different players have done since 1990.

Given the number of shots he’s able to generate (3.36 per game for his career) and the type of skill he possesses, he could have a 40-goal season in his future.

Since 1990 only six players have appeared in at least 100 NHL games and averaged at least 3.36 shots per game before their 23rd birthday. The players: Alex Ovechkin, Pavel Bure, Paul Kariya, Ilya Kovalchuk, Alexander Mogilny and ... Evander Kane.

That shot volume has only increased for Kane every year he’s been in the league. With a little shooting luck and maybe a few bounces to go his way, he could be on the verge of a monster season.

If the Jets are smart, they’re going to make sure it happens for them.