Earlier this offseason, Frank Seravalli of The Daily Faceoff said he had reason to believe there was some tension between San Jose Sharks forward Evander Kane and a number of his teammates, and according to a new report that appears to be the case.
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Kevin Kurz, who is a writer for The Athletic and covers the Sharks, wrote a column on Tuesday morning saying that several teammates don’t want Kane back on the team for the 2021-22 season. Kurz also mentioned that general manager Doug Wilson was looking to move the 30-year-old winger earlier this offseason, but it appears he had no suitors.
This information comes just one day after the NHL announced they are launching an investigation against Kane after his ex-wife accused him of betting on NHL games, including his own while playing for the Sharks. Kane has gone on to deny these allegations while calling his ex-wife “mentally unwell”.
Whether or not the gambling story is proven to be true, there is no denying the fact that Kane has ruffled many feathers over his NHL career. There was reported tension in the locker room during his time as a Winnipeg Jet, including a story that came out that said former defenceman Dustin Byfuglien was so agitated with Kane that he threw his tracksuit in the shower after a game.
The unfortunate thing regarding this entire situation is that Kane is a very good player, but can’t seem to stay out of his own way. This past season was one of the best he’s had in the NHL, as he led the Sharks in scoring with 22 goals and 49 points in 56 games. Despite his talent however, he has developed a bad reputation around the league, meaning his contract that still has four more seasons with an average annual value of $7 million will be very hard, if not outright impossible for Wilson to trade.
If a guilty verdict is come from this gambling story, Kane’s NHL career could very well be over similar to the Pete Rose saga in the MLB years ago. Even if this story proves not to be true, his future is very much in question due to his damaged reputation throughout the league.
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