The latest on Evander Kane from NHL insider Elliotte Friedman

As surprising as it may seem, the moment the San Jose Sharks terminated the contract of controversial forward, there were literally dozens of teams lining up to add him to their roster.

While Kane's off-ice life is in shambles, he's still a very effective player on the ice. This is a man who filed for bankruptcy, went through a messy public divorce, was accused of betting on his own games, was suspended 21 games for passing off a phony COVID-19 vaccination card and allegedly flew and crossed the border while knowingly being COVID-19 positive... all in the past calendar year. So you might be wonder, "Why on Earth would a team want this guy?"

It's simple... he fills the net. 

The 30 year old forward put up 22 goals and 49 points in just 56 games last season. He has the potential to be a 35+ goal scorer and 70+ point player over a full season and that's why teams are interested in him. Throw in the fact that he'll be signed for likely much cheaper than the $7 million annual salary he earned with the Sharks and it's a no-brainer for a lot of clubs. 

But, as is always the case with Kane, there's a catch. And that catch, according to NHL insider Elliotte Friedman, is that the NHL doesn't yet know when and if he'll even be allowed to play this season. The NHL is conducting an investigation into Kane (the third one this year) following allegations that he crossed the Canada/USA border after testing positive for COVID-19. In effect, Kane went against not only NHL protocol, but government protocol by traveling while sick.

In his latest 31 Thoughts column for Sportsnet, Friedman reports that the NHL interviewed Kane last Friday, but still hasn't provided an indication as to when they'll have a ruling in his case and what the punishment, if any, will be.

From Friedman:

4. The NHL interviewed Evander Kane last Friday as part of its investigation into his flight to Vancouver. Still no clear timeline on a ruling.

- Elliotte Friedman

Honestly... I know that several teams are interested in Kane, but I don't think any aside from the Edmonton Oilers are desperate to add him immediately. If I'm a team like the Tampa Bay Lightning or the Carolina Hurricanes waiting around for a cheap pick up, I'm not concerned how long this process plays out. For a team like the Oilers though... every game counts.