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Edmonton Oilers agree to terms with Evander Kane on one-year contract

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Photo credit:Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports
Zach Laing
2 years ago
The Edmonton Oilers have agreed to terms with Evander Kane on a one-year contract.
Kane’s contract contains a $750,000 base salary and a signing bonus of $625,000, as first reported by PuckPedia. The deal is prorated over the course of the 2021-22 season earning Kane $974,000, PuckPedia reported.
His contract carries a full no-movement clause and a cap hit of $2.094-million, PuckPedia reported.
If the deal isn’t made official Thursday, the deal changes slightly. Should it be signed Friday, his cap hit increases to $2.11-million, while his actual cash dips to $970,000, PuckPedia reported.
The move comes weeks after the winger had his contract terminated by the San Jose Sharks over breach of his standard player contract and breach of AHL COVID-19 rules.
From the time of his release, the Oilers are one of the few teams that expressed interest in Kane and have long believed to been the frontrunners for his service.
Prior to his termination, the 30-year-old sniper came off a 21-game suspension in late November and had been assigned to the AHL’s San Jose Barracuda. There, Kane appeared in five-game scoring two goals and eight points.
Off the ice, Kane carries his fair share of baggage. On top of his suspension for producing a fake vaccination card, he was alleged this past offseason of gambling on hockey games and domestic abuse. The NHL determined they could not be substantiated.
The Sharks also tried to trade Kane this past offseason after reports surfaced he had a general “disrespect for team rules” such as being late for practices and games, and that it came with “zero consequences,” The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz reported. This push to have him moved, reportedly, was head manned by his San Jose teammates.
Kane has had multiple other legal issues, too. In January 2021, he filed for chapter 7 bankruptcy after amassing $26.8-million in debt. In July 2016 he was sued by a 21-year-old woman who accused him of assaulting her, a lawsuit which was stayed after the bankruptcy filing.
Other off-ice issues have followed him from Winnipeg, to Buffalo, and later to San Jose.
On the ice, there’s no denying he will be a massive addition to the Oilers’ top-six. Kane’s known as a strong offensive player who plays the game with an edge never shying from the physicality. Imagine a much more skilled Zack Kassian.
His 769 game career has been split between the Atlanta Thrashers/Winnipeg Jets, Sabres and the Sharks where he’s scored 264 goals and 506 points.
The fourth overall pick in the 2009 draft, he has gone to score 20 or more goals in each of his last six seasons. Twice he has hit the 30 goal mark.
His even-strength isolated impacts, according to hockeyviz.com, he provides offence at a one percent rate below league average and defence at a two percent rate above league average.
Last year he led the Sharks in both goals, 22, and points, 39, while playing in 56 games.
Kane’s production led the Sharks in goals (22) and points (49) playing in all 56 games. At 5×5, he scored .89 goals per hour and 2.3 points per hour — clips that would’ve placed him second and third on the Oilers last year.

KANE’S NHL CAREER SO FAR 

SeasonGPGAP+/-PIMPPGPPPSHGSHPGWGOTGSS%
NHL Career769264242506-67988479114193742,7309.7

Zach Laing is the Nation Network’s news director and senior columnist. He can be followed on Twitter at @zjlaing, or reached by email at zach@oilersnation.com.

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