Evander Kane Trade Reaction: Thankfully, Kane Stays out of the Metropolitan Division

In case you didn't hear what went down earlier in the afternoon, Evander Kane was finally traded in a blockbuster deal from the Winnipeg Jets to the Buffalo Sabres. The final deal included Evander Kane, Zach Bogosian, and goaltending prospect Jason Kasdorf heading to Buffalo in exchange for Tyler Myers, Drew Stafford, Joel Armia, Brendan Lemieux, and a 2015 first-round draft pick (the lowest pick of the three Buffalo has).

What's even more surprising though is that Kane was not the only piece heading to Buffalo, and in fact, this was a much broader deal that helps both teams in the short and long term. It's no surprise that Buffalo has pretty much "packed it in" this season, and they have their sights set on trying to climb up to the top of the draft list by the time June 26 rolls around. Not having Evander Kane for the remainder of the season not only helps them solidify that goal, but also gives them a future 30-goal scorer for the foreseeable future, and speeds up the rebuilding process.

On the other hand, the Winnipeg Jets also make out fairly well in the deal as they bring in two pieces to help with their playoff push, and add two decent prospects for the future. Tyler Myers hasn't exactly had an ideal situation to develop in Buffalo, but he now has a chance to show everyone the potential everyone expected of him on draft day. Drew Stafford also gives the Jets some extra depth, and allows Dustin Byfuglien to return to the blue line to provide some added offense from the backend.

Now, if you are still with me, you are probably wondering what the heck all of this has to do with the New York Rangers. For starters, Evander Kane didn't end up with the Pittsburgh Penguins or New York Islanders, two Metropolitan Division teams that were listed as potential landing spots after Kane essentially punched his ticket out of Winnipeg. Had Kane not opted for season-ending surgery, these teams probably would have had much higher interest, but given he would be a future asset, a team like the Sabres made the most sense.

In addition, Evander Kane has a knack for tearing up the Metropolitan Division when he comes to town. Based on Kane's career splits, some of his highest career totals have come against six of the eight teams in the Metropolitan Division. In 129 games played against the Metropolitan Division teams, Kane has a total of 94 points throughout his career. Against the remaining 22 teams in the league, Kane has only put up 128 points in 232 games played.

There's quite a big difference between the two, and thankfully, the Rangers won't have to put up with him in the Metropolitan Division for the next three years.