Teams won't be able to help themselves when it comes to Evander Kane
If the troubled winger does indeed go on the open market, there will be no shortage of teams lining up for his services, despite the deluge of red flags surrounding him
With a stick tap to TSN analyst Craig Button who referenced the quote, the notion of Evander Kane signing with an NHL team this season brings to mind a time when the legendary Red Auerbach was asked about the risks of acquiring a player with a checkered past and putting him on the roster of the perennial champion Boston Celtics. “Before I answer the question,” Auerbach responded, “they tell me one in 100 people change. No. 1, I’m not in the business of change. No. 2, I don’t like those odds.”
If it is ruled that Kane is indeed permitted to sign with another NHL team, in spite of the fact that the NHL Players’ Association is grieving his contract termination by the San Jose Sharks, you can bet your entire cryptocurrency account on the fact that another team will undoubtedly take the bold step of signing Kane to a short-term deal and have him playing hockey for them this season.
And it’s because they simply can’t help themselves. More than a handful of teams fancy themselves legitimate Stanley Cup contenders in Gary Bettman’s paradise of parity that is the NHL these days. And who could blame them for looking at 6-foot-2, 210-pound power forward who was the Sharks’ leading scorer last season and not think he might be the piece that could help put them over the top? And the best thing is, they wouldn’t even really have to be the one that changes Kane. They would likely be able to sign Kane to a low-risk, bargain basement deal for the rest of this season with the thought that all he has to do is toe the line for a couple of months. And it might very well be worth the risk.
But to do so, that team would have to either ignore or be prepared to live with the mountain of toxicity that is currently attached to this player. As much as even Evander Kane probably doesn’t want to make things about Evander Kane at this point, it would always be about him. His presence alone would command an enormous amount of oxygen in any dressing room, not to mention facing the daily questions about how he’s fitting in and whether he’s sticking with the program. Again, any team that signs him had better be prepared for some exhausting times.
When you consider signing Kane, even for a couple of months, it would require you to look beyond the incomprehensible number of off-ice controversies that have followed him of late. Last January – despite having grossed in excess of $50 million to that point in his career and entering the third of a seven-year, $49 million contract – Kane declared bankruptcy, citing debts of $26.8 million. He was sued by a bank, with the lender alleging that Kane defrauded the company in the process of securing a loan. He has faced investigations from the NHL – which were in response to allegations from his ex-wife – that he gambled on NHL games and was guilty of domestic abuse and sexual assault. In his defense, the NHL had a third party investigate and found no merit in either of the allegations. He was dropped by the newly formed Hockey Diversity Alliance, shopped around the league by the Sharks and suspended 21 games for an “established violation” of the NHL/NHLPA COVID-19 protocol.
Then over the weekend, Kane had the remainder of his contract terminated by the Sharks for violating American Hockey League protocols while playing for the Sharks’ farm team, the San Jose Barracuda. The NHLPA is in the process of filing a grievance, which leaves Kane’s immediate future in limbo.
And even if you get beyond all of that, you also have to consider that the 30-year-old has worn out his welcome with two organizations, the Sharks and the Winnipeg Jets. He was suspended by the Buffalo Sabres for blowing off practice after attending the NBA All-Star Game. And what makes it more concerning is that the groundswell of discontent came from his teammates, who made it clear to management they didn’t want him in their dressing room. The Jets and Sharks (beyond being rivals in West Side Story, get it?) are two of the NHL’s premier organizations when it comes to developing a close-knit culture among their players. The Sharks, in particular, have had some of the best team-first players in recent history in their dressing room. If you can’t toe the line with the Sharks, there’s a pretty good chance you can’t do it anywhere. There’s a reason the Sharks were willing to take pennies on the dollar and pay part of Kane’s salary to trade him. And there’s a reason why the players, who love nothing more than to win, were eager to rid themselves of their best player.
And when you get Kane’s side of the story, there’s always an agenda, always a case of someone out to get him because he’s rich and famous, always an excuse. But the one constant that cannot be disputed is that Kane is always in the middle of it. There comes a time when a player, regardless of his level of talent, no longer is worth the headache of having him in your organization. That has happened a couple of times with Evander Kane already.
Still, there will be teams that will be interested. And one of them will sign him. That team will claim it has done its due diligence on Kane and received assurances that he will not be a disruption. It will have visions of Evander Kane, the player, doing Evander Kane things on the ice. And he may very well do them. But there should be red flags everywhere around this transaction.
As a long time Sharks fan, and a supporter of HDA, I can separate Kane from both organizations and say good riddance. And it's sad, but true, that some other team will pick him up. Sure, he's got some good numbers, but at what cost? I'm glad the Sharks have gotten rid of him.