Evander Kane - How good do you expect him to be?

[LGR4GM]

Sounds like Dan Bylsma was lucky enough to sit down with Kane for a bit. Sounds like Bylsma and Kane's previous coaches think he is a straight up competitor who hates losing. Obviously this is the key part of the trade and if he fails, Murray in a sense has failed.  What do you expect from him going into next season?  He is coming off of shoulder surgery (ahead of schedule on the recovery front) and there are rumors of off ice issues (which may or may not be a thing).  We don't know who his center will be or how he will be played but let's hazard a guess.

 

I think Kane will be really good for our team.  His speed and competitiveness is something I think younger players will respect.  Considering his energy and other things thus far, I think Kane does hit the 30 goal mark.  Could be crazy but that is my opinion.  

[dEnnis the Menace]

Sounds like Dan Bylsma was lucky enough to sit down with Kane for a bit. Sounds like Bylsma and Kane's previous coaches think he is a straight up competitor who hates losing. Obviously this is the key part of the trade and if he fails, Murray in a sense has failed.  What do you expect from him going into next season?  He is coming off of shoulder surgery (ahead of schedule on the recovery front) and there are rumors of off ice issues (which may or may not be a thing).  We don't know who his center will be or how he will be played but let's hazard a guess.

 

I think Kane will be really good for our team.  His speed and competitiveness is something I think younger players will respect.  Considering his energy and other things thus far, I think Kane does hit the 30 goal mark.  Could be crazy but that is my opinion.  

 

I just had to vote the way I did  :angel:

 

I honestly think, if the lines are right, Kane could be very good next year, but I am hesitant to say he reaches the 30 goal mark.  It all depends on the development of our other younger players. 

[MattPie]

I think he's 20+ but top-3. There will probably be enough growing pains that team scoring will be down across the board. If the team gets rolling, I think 30-ish will be right.

[That Aud Smell]

I'm gonna say it: I follow the young man on Instagram and he is not shy about having a lifestyle of the rich and somewhat famous.

 

I mean . . . 

 

 

 

[LGR4GM]

... well that will make our female posters blush a bit

[Johnny DangerFace]

A better poll, if you were truly an elite poster, would have been how many people will evander kane beat up. 

Edited June 4, 2015 by Vlad Dangerslakov

[spndnchz]

I'm gonna say it: I follow the young man on Instagram and he is not shy about having a lifestyle of the rich and somewhat famous.

 

I mean . . . 

 

evanderkanenyc.png

 

Yummy.

[X. Benedict]

I think he will be the best forward on the team. 

[Peanit]

I think the guy is going to be trouble. I follow him on Instagram and his posts have pretty much ruined my opinion of him.  

[BetweenThePipes00]

I'm gonna say it: I follow the young man on Instagram and he is not shy about having a lifestyle of the rich and somewhat famous.

 

I mean . . . 

 

evanderkanenyc.png

I totally get why many of us see that and are like "WTF is the point of that? Just play hockey."

I also shudder to think what a 24-year old Jim Kelly (just for instance) would have done with Instagram while king of the USFL or when he first got to Buffalo. Not saying he will end up the most beloved athlete in town of course, but at the end of the day most of what people complain about when it comes to Kane is harmless and has zero impact one way or the other on his hockey. He'll grow up and stop with the selfies because all 24-year olds take tons of selfies and 30-year olds take way fewer selfies.

 

If anyone scores 30 on this team they will be better than I am expecting, that's a year off, but I expect him to have a good year and put up 50+ points if he stays healthy.

[nfreeman]

I think the guy is going to be trouble. I follow him on Instagram and his posts have pretty much ruined my opinion of him.  

 

Interesting.  Can you provide some specifics? 

 

The photo Smell posted probably demonstrates vanity, but he's hardly the only 24-year-old (let alone 24-year-old professional athlete) to suffer from that disorder.  Rob Gronkowski posts shirtless mugging photos all the time and he's still pretty popular.

 

So I'm curious to see other Kane posts that have turned you off.

 

I think he will be the best forward on the team. 

 

Next year and probably the year after -- me too.  By Eichel's 3rd year, though, he should be the top guy, or I expect we'll be disappointed.

 

FWIW, I think Kane will be a top-3 forward for the Sabres this season and put up about 27 goals.  Given how low-scoring the Sabres were last year, plus general increase in NHL scoring constipation, I'm reluctant to predict 30+ -- but hopefully that will change once Eichel and Reinhart get a year or 2 under their belts.

[woods-racer]

Nice summer topic LGR, thanks for the thread.

 

To much and to soon for this team to ask him to be 20 plus goal scorer this season. Late in the season with some chemistry and he will come on to push the 20 goal envelope.

[sabills]

I am freaking pumped for Kane. I think he's the best forward we've had on this team since Drury/Briere left. Ennis-Eichel-Kane line is going to be fun.

[Peanit]

I follow zach bogosian too.

I guess it's just my preconceived opinion I had of him and Cane's posts only fed to that. From what I've read about him, he seems to care more about himself then he does team or anyone else for that matter. You can see the different styles of posting from Evander and Zack and I realize they are different people but you can also take from it he is more obsessed with himself then with family or friends. To me that is a red flag but I hope I am wrong. You are right my opinion is probably baseless but it is my opinion none the less.  :blink: 

[That Aud Smell]

I am freaking pumped for Kane. I think he's the best forward we've had on this team since Drury/Briere left. Ennis-Eichel-Kane line is going to be fun.

 

I share the excitement, but: Better than Vanek? I'm asking.

[Randall Flagg]

Puppies!

[Sabel79]

I also shudder to think what a 24-year old Jim Kelly (just for instance) would have done with Instagram while king of the USFL or when he first got to Buffalo.

How about a 24 year old [insert name of just about 1000 great/good/alright players of the past here]?  Not saying he'll be great by any means, but I think some slack should be cut.  From all accounts, Winnipeg was a toxic experience for him, for a variety of reasons.  Some his responsibility, others most definitely not.  It'll be interesting to see what he does with a fresh start. 

[sabills]

I share the excitement, but: Better than Vanek? I'm asking.

He's the only one who gave me pause, but yes. Partially because I think that in the nearish future he'll have a better team around him. Skill alone they're pretty close; Kane is a bit more physical than Vanek, for whatever that's worth.

Edited June 4, 2015 by sabills

[...]

I can't understand the self-before-team criticism when, and especially dealing with injury, he's one of the very few Sabres we see hanging around the organization when there isn't a game or anything terribly specific going on.

[nfreeman]

I can't understand the self-before-team criticism when, and especially dealing with injury, he's one of the very few Sabres we see hanging around the organization when there isn't a game or anything terribly specific going on.

 

I think there's a tendency to confuse vanity (which, again, is a fair reading of the instagram page, albeit not necessarily accurate) with self-before-team.  But the 2 are not the same, and I don't think we should assume Kane suffers from the 2nd just because he (maybe/apparently) suffers from the 1st.

[WildCard]

I totally get why many of us see that and are like "WTF is the point of that? Just play hockey."

I also shudder to think what a 24-year old Jim Kelly (just for instance) would have done with Instagram while king of the USFL or when he first got to Buffalo. Not saying he will end up the most beloved athlete in town of course, but at the end of the day most of what people complain about when it comes to Kane is harmless and has zero impact one way or the other on his hockey. He'll grow up and stop with the selfies because all 24-year olds take tons of selfies and 30-year olds take way fewer selfies.

 

If anyone scores 30 on this team they will be better than I am expecting, that's a year off, but I expect him to have a good year and put up 50+ points if he stays healthy.

Exactly, thank you. He hasn't been in any legal trouble, and he doesn't do anything controversial besides post pictures of himself. Nothing to see here folks.

 

As for his talent, I put 30+ next year, but a lot of that is dependent on if the Sabres can gel early on with a whole new crew and coaching staff, if the NHL starts calling penalties again, and if Eichel/Reinhart adjust quickly to the NHL. 

Edited June 4, 2015 by WildCard

[K-9]

I follow zach bogosian too.

I guess it's just my preconceived opinion I had of him and Cane's posts only fed to that. From what I've read about him, he seems to care more about himself then he does team or anyone else for that matter. You can see the different styles of posting from Evander and Zack and I realize they are different people but you can also take from it he is more obsessed with himself then with family or friends. To me that is a red flag but I hope I am wrong. You are right my opinion is probably baseless but it is my opinion none the less.  :blink: 

That looks a lot more like the contrast between a married guy vs. a single guy more than anything.

 

I read a couple articles in the Vancouver Sun a while back and, from the way he describes his devotion to his parents and sisters, he seems to care very much about family.

 

GO SABRES!!!

[dEnnis the Menace]

I think there's a tendency to confuse vanity (which, again, is a fair reading of the instagram page, albeit not necessarily accurate) with self-before-team.  But the 2 are not the same, and I don't think we should assume Kane suffers from the 2nd just because he (maybe/apparently) suffers from the 1st.

 

This.  I completely agree.

[Peanit]

I think there's a tendency to confuse vanity (which, again, is a fair reading of the instagram page, albeit not necessarily accurate) with self-before-team.  But the 2 are not the same, and I don't think we should assume Kane suffers from the 2nd just because he (maybe/apparently) suffers from the 1st.

I'm not confused at all, it's just an opinion just like the above quote is yours. My preconceived opinion was from his time in Winnipeg. The "Vanity" in his instagram photos only fed into that opinion. Like I said I hope that I am wrong.

That looks a lot more like the contrast between a married guy vs. a single guy more than anything.

 

I read a couple articles in the Vancouver Sun a while back and, from the way he describes his devotion to his parents and sisters, he seems to care very much about family.

 

GO SABRES!!!

Well that could be but Zack doesn't have to describe his devotions. Big difference. I hope I am wrong

[...]

I think there's a tendency to confuse vanity (which, again, is a fair reading of the instagram page, albeit not necessarily accurate) with self-before-team.  But the 2 are not the same, and I don't think we should assume Kane suffers from the 2nd just because he (maybe/apparently) suffers from the 1st.

 

If I were him, or, rather, if I were in his exact position at that time in my life with the way society is and the tech available, uhm, I would be just like him.  Sorry, but, I would have been proud, vain, and egotistical with my bad-ass self achieving that kind of status. 

 

Back in the day, I knew people in "my line of work" (at the time, shall we say) who were just as proud, vain, and egotistical as Kane comes off now, who could and would be a team player when it was "team time".  He wouldn't be where he's at without being able to juggle the two, it's that simple.