Rumour: New plan in place for Sharks to get rid of Evander Kane

Evander Kane claims he is NHL-ready even though he was held without a point in his first game with the San Jose Barracuda in the American Hockey League.

However, Sharks insider Kevin Kurz for the Athletic doubts that the team is convinced to bring him back aboard the roster and is still hoping to trade the controversial player.

As you may remember, on Oct. 18, 2021, the NHL suspended Kane 21 games for violating the league’s COVID-19 protocol by submitting a fake vaccination card. The Sharks subsequently placed Kane on waivers, which upon clearing, he was re-assigned to the AHL, joining the Barracuda.

While Kurz believes the AHL experiment won’t last long, he sounds just as certain that no NHL team will attempt to acquire Kane in a trade. We shouldn’t be surprised : Kane was the subject of numerous investigations both by law authorities and the NHL - in other words a major distraction for any club out there. When asked about Kane in his latest mailbag, Kurz explained what he believes is the new plan in place for the Sharks to get rid of the forward:

“I know there has been some speculation that there might be some interest for Kane from some other teams, but most people around the league that I’ve spoken with about him feel that a trade is unlikely. I tend to agree, and one source even suggested to me that he believes Kane actually would prefer to get bought out and that this Barracuda experiment probably won’t last very long. While a buyout would cost Kane one-third of the money that the Sharks owe him over the final three years of his contract, he could conceivably make that up with a new contract somewhere else.

In other words, my prediction is that the Kane-Barracuda marriage won’t last until the trade deadline, he won’t get traded, he’ll sit for the final few weeks or months of the season, the Sharks will be forced to buy him out in the summer, and then another club will take a chance on him with a short term deal beginning in 2022-23.”

This could work especially since Kane is in the fourth season of a seven-year contract that carries a $7 million cap hit and his annual tab has scared off plenty of NHL trade suitors even if the Sharks are rumored to be willing to absorb some of his salary.

A new contract - a low-risk affair - could be more tempting for teams looking for a boost up front, one that comes with problems if we go back to Kane’s history. After all, he was the Sharks’ most impactful player this past season, as he led the team with 22 goals and 49 points as he played in all 56 games.

A buyout is also a realistic option for the Sharks: the dead money on Kane’s deal would totalled over $13 million for the next four seasons, then go to $1.833 million per year for four more years.

So... Is this the new plan?