Weekly Rumours – The latest on Evander Kane and more
2 years ago
So, Evander Kane has been in the news a little bit recently, hey?
We have heard that he’s coming to Edmonton, we’ve heard that no deal is done, we’ve heard that every contending team has checked in, and it’s been reported that it’s down to just two teams. The bottom line is, we really don’t know when Kane will sign a deal and while it’s widely being speculated that Edmonton is a potential destination, that’s certainly not official yet.
Now, Elliotte Friedman is saying that the NHL is investigating the situation that saw Kane go across the Canada-USA border before his quarantine period was over.
Friedman added on Tim and Friends that there is no answer to whether or not there could be additional discipline and he also didn’t quite want to call the Oilers the favourites to sign Kane.
We’ll see where things go from here and things can certainly change very quickly. I would not be the least bit surprised if Kane eventually joins the Oilers for the remainder of the season, but this might take a few more days to finalize.
If it happens, it will divide the fan base, as we’ve already seen. The Oilers could certainly use his ability on the ice. This guy has scored at a 30 goal pace in five straight seasons and Edmonton could use a boost to their forward group.
At the same time, the off-ice issues cannot be ignored. This is a player who has had problems in pretty much every stop he’s had and some of the accusations that have been made against him are extremely troubling. I do not blame fans of the Oilers who look at this and say “I don’t feel good about cheering for this guy”. It’s very divisive.
Over at DailyFaceoff, Frank Seravalli reported last night that Kane could face disciplinary action for his alleged COVID protocol violations which adds yet another wrinkle to this story.
KEN HOLLAND & THE FIRST-ROUND PICK
Elliotte Friedman reported this week that Ken Holland does not have his first-round pick on the table as he potentially looks to upgrade his roster. Holland went out himself during his recent press conference and said that he wouldn’t move major pieces for a rental, but if the player could help the team for more than just this year, then that could change things.
It’s disappointing to hear that once again, the Oilers don’t feel as though they’re in a spot to go all-in at the trade deadline. There is no reason why they shouldn’t be extremely aggressive on the trade market in Ken Holland’s third year as the General Manager.
Now, that could change if they go on a heater over the next few months. If they’re suddenly back in the mix to have home-ice advantage in the first round or something like that, then maybe Holland will change his approach.
WILL JOHN KLINGBERG BE MOVED?
Dec 11, 2021; San Jose, California, USA; Dallas Stars defenseman John Klingberg (3) skates with the puck during the second period against the San Jose Sharks at SAP Center at San Jose. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports
The news that Klingberg isn’t happy with the way things are going in Dallas made waves this weekend. The 29-year-old defenseman has spent his entire career with the Stars and is currently a pending UFA. He wants a big extension but that might not be very easy for the Stars to do considering how much money they paid Miro Heiskanen.
Extension talks have apparently gone cold and that has Klingberg feeling unappreciated. The Stars are currently not sitting in a playoff spot and if it stays that way as we get closer to the deadline, then I would expect that a Klingberg deal becomes more likely. If the Stars stay in the hunt and have a realistic shot at making the playoffs, then it sounds like a trade is not a guarantee.
Elliotte Friedman even said on Tim & Friends that it could be beneficial for both sides to stay together if a playoff run is potentially within reach.
If the Stars do decide to move on from him, then there will be no shortage of teams interested and GM Jim Nill should have no problem getting a first-round pick or a high-end prospect for the blueliner.
TOMAS HERTL & THE SHARKS CAP SPACE
So the Sharks are out of the $7m in cap space that they had tied up with Evander Kane and that has people wondering about the future of Tomas Hertl in San Jose. The 28-year-old forward is having a fantastic season and is on pace for close to 40-goals this season. On top of that, he’s a UFA and the organization could get a massive haul for him to help with their rebuild.
The Sharks are still in playoff contention themselves, so it doesn’t sound like a Hertl deal is going to happen in the next month or anything like that, but Friedman threw cold water onto the idea that the Shark’s new found cap space will change anything in regards to Hertl’s future.
It sounds like the player that Frank Seravalli put at the top of his recent trade targets list will be on the move before the deadline.
QUICK NOTES
- Friedman connected Max Domi to the Boston Bruins. The Bruins would clearly like to add some centre depth but a deal for Domi would likely have to require the Blue Jackets keeping some money.
- Mark Giordano’s agent Rich Winter said that there’s a possibility that Giordano ends up in Calgary. That would be a great storyline but Giordano hasn’t looked the same this season. He’s lost a step and I’m not sure how much he could help the Flames on the ice.
- Winter also said that Andrew Mangiapane, who’s a pending RFA, could look for a short-term deal. He can be a UFA as early as 2023. He’s having a great season so it makes sense that he’d want to either cash in big-time or get right to his UFA years.
- Arthur Staple says the Rangers could be looking to add a right-winger.
- Jeff Marek named the Anaheim Ducks, St. Louis Blues, and LA Kings as team to watch in the Jakob Chychrun sweepstakes. Friedman also named the Caroline Hurricanes.
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