San Jose Sharks are taking huge risk with reported Evander Kane deal
The San Jose Sharks and Evander Kane are reportedly close to a long-term extension
The San Jose Sharks acquired Evander Kane from the Buffalo Sabres at the 2018 NHL trade deadline. Even though he’s scheduled to become a free agent on July 1, the fit was great right off the bat. With the Sharks, Kane put up 14 points, including nine goals, in 18 games during the regular season. In nine postseason games, he added five points, including four goals.
According to Sportsnet reporter Irfaan Gaffar, the two sides have agreed to a long-term extension. And it’s a risky one. The reported deal is for seven years with an annual cap hit of around $7 million.
Hearing the Sharks and Evander Kane have agreed to a long-term contract extension. Numbers may be in the 7-years 7-million per range.
— Irfaan Gaffar (@irfgaffar) May 22, 2018
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$7 million a year seems appropriate for Kane. He’s a proven goal scorer and he clicked right away with the Sharks. Factor in San Jose’s “win now” strategy and that’s a very justifiable cap hit. However, the term makes this reported deal a huge risk.
On the ice, Kane has been an outstanding player, scoring 77 goals over the past three seasons. The Sharks offense struggled to score more so than usual (12th in the league in goals scored), so he’s a natural fit there. Though it feels like Kane has been around forever, he’s still only 26 years old. So seven years, on paper, doesn’t seem so bad.
However, Kane has multiple off the ice issues. He’s been involved in several incidents, including a 2016 incident that saw him accused of grabbing three women during an altercation. Even though the charges were dropped, it’s worth noting he had numerous issues during his time with the Winnipeg Jets.
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Should the Sharks re-sign Kane, this means they will surrender their 2019 first-round pick to the Sabres instead of a 2019 second-round pick. This was a condition of the trade that sent him to San Jose. The Sharks are taking a huge risk by signing Kane and this might well take them out of the running for John Tavares.
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