Elliotte Friedman: The San Jose Sharks officially terminated Evander Kane’s contract on Sunday and the NHLPA filed a grievance Sunday night. Kane is an unrestricted free agent but there needs to be some ground rules set first.
Pierre LeBrun: Agent Dan Milstein said that there is a lot of interest in Evander Kane from a number of teams. When they agree on a contract with some team, it will be a one-year deal for the rest of this season.
Rick Dhaliwal: The Vancouver Canucks hadn’t reached out to Evander Kane’s camp as of late yesterday morning. Kane’s agent Milstein said he plans on talking to Vancouver to see if there is any interest.
Kevin Kurz: Would be a real surprise if the New York Islanders were interested in Kane. Their GM is big on rules and Kane has a history of ignoring them.
Shawn Simpson: Despite what Kane’s agent is saying, would be shocked if there is any interest Kane unless it’s from the KHL.
Michael Traikos in the Calgary Hearld: The Toronto Maple Leafs are believed to be one of the teams that has shown some interest in free agent Evander Kane. Among the other teams that have some level of interest are the Carolina Hurricanes, Edmonton Oilers, Florida Panthers, Tampa Bay Lightning and the Vegas Golden Knights.
“Teams have been calling,” said the unnamed source. “The phones are lit up like a Christmas tree.”
Kane could be willing to sign a one-year deal between $1.5 and $2 million and is only interested in playing for a serious contender.
Kane’s agent wouldn’t say much yesterday but did say that Kane “had an approved time off.”
This season is really important for the Maple Leafs and adding Kane on a reasonable contract could be worth the risk. Kane could do more harm than good, but he also could make a difference in the playoffs.
Owen Krepps of Vegas Hockey Now: The Vegas Golden Knights may need to clear out some salary when they get healthy, but adding Evander Kane on a league minimum, or close to it, to help with their scoring could go a long way. It could also be a big distraction.
Kane has played under head coach Pete DeBoer before, and has been teammates with Jack Eichel and Robin Lehner.
David Staples of the Edmonton Journal: Darren Dreger said on TSN 1260 that the Edmonton Oilers have spoken with Kane’s agent Dan Milstein.
“I know the Oilers have made calls,” said Dreger on TSN1260 radio. “I know that Kenny Holland has talked to the agent Dan Milstein. Where the Oilers fit in terms of the list of teams that will explore the interest in Evander Kane, I think given the obvious — the way the Edmonton Oilers see a pretty bright future in not only Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl but some of the other assets — Evander Kane would be wise to look at the Edmonton Oilers. And I think Edmonton, if they stay as interested as it seems like they are, would probably be in the Top 5 from Kane’s perspective. And that might be a bit premature. Again, this is all pretty new. It’s all very fresh. Clubs are still exploring whether or not he would be the right fit. I believe there are at least 15, 20 teams max, that have expressed some interest in Evander Kane.”
Oilers GM Ken Holland has to do his job and inquire, but doesn’t think the Oilers will sign Kane. Hard to see Kane wanting to play in a Canadian market.