It sounds like the Buffalo Sabres want to cut to the front of the line, skip the bidding war, and acquire Evander Kane from the Winnipeg Jets sooner rather than later.

That’s the word from TSN’s Bob McKenzie and Darren Dreger on Wednesday, as the two report that talks are heating up (even if a deal isn’t done yet).

The Sabres make sense as a destination for Kane, whose shoulder surgery conceivably limits his value to contenders at the trade deadline. McKenzie points out that the Sabres obviously have some nice future assets to work with, too, which might entice the Jets to pull the trigger now instead of in the summer:

BUF has assets to work with: 1st-rd picks (NYI and STL); prospects such as Joel Armia, rental wingers Chris Stewart/Drew Stafford, PLUS… — Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) February 11, 2015

…If BUF opts to put Tyler Myers into the equation, it will get very interesting for WPG. Anyway, BUF is aggressively pursuing. — Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) February 11, 2015

This adds a little fuel to the fire, too:

@DarrenDreger @TSNBobMcKenzie Jets director of pro scouting Mark Dobson was at the Ottawa/Buffalo game last night. — Gord Miller (@GMillerTSN) February 11, 2015

One can imagine that the 23-year-old might not be too enthusiastic about the prospect of playing in Buffalo. It could be a painful rebuild for a winger who doesn’t have a single NHL playoff game on his resume.

That said, Kane would easily be the featured star in the Sabres’ offense (alongside the premium prospect they’re nearly certain to land in the 2015 NHL Draft). If nothing else, the unfamiliar sensation of playing on the third line – as he did at times this season – will probably not surface very often for Kane in Buffalo.

The Sabres advantage is clear in that they get a developed NHL player to skip a few years of development, as they’ll be doing plenty of that in the near future. The Jets get some assets in the deal, though Winnipeg may be growing weary of the patient approach.

There are likely to be other teams that want to get on the bidding, and trade situations are frequently fluid, but it is at least a situation to watch.

Follow James O’Brien @cyclelikesedins