Evander Kane isn't the only National Hockey League player to have worn the jersey of several different teams over his career. There are plenty of reasons that players, even Great Ones, move about the league, but there are few scenarios where it's consistently an unfriendly parting of ways. Kane left the Edmonton Oilers without any overt issues boiling over, but that's hardly been the standard.
He left the Atlanta Thrashes/Winnipeg Jets organization following a rather public falling out with his teammates signalled that not all was well in that dressing room. A trade to the Buffalo Sabres soon followed, and other extracurricular activities as well. Kane last less than two seasons in Buffalo, moving over to the San Jose Sharks. With San Jose in their previous championship window, Kane produced in the postseason and earned himself a long term contract. That deal was voided following a breach of Covid-19 protocols. But the truth may be that buyer's remorse existed in the Sharks organization, and they saw a way to get themselves out of the deal.
Ups and downs
Kane made his way to Edmonton and lit the building on fire in the 2021-22 Stanley Cup Playoffs. He looked every bit the elite shooter that he'd been in his early career, scoring 13 goals in that postseason run. The locker room issues that had plagued him didn't seem to crop up (it's amazing how winning diminishes those concerns). If not for his unfortunate injury early in the following season, there's a chance that Kane would have been a top six staple on the Oilers for the rest of his career.
He returned later that season, and while he still had speed and grit, the snap and speed of his shot have never been the same. Kane was a part of the teams that fell just short of the Stanley Cup victory, but as a supporting player, rather than a centerpiece. His reduced offense did less to cover the unfortunate penalties he often would take and ultimately he was viewed as a declining asset when he was traded to the Vancouver Canucks.
There's a good chance that a team that signs Kane today will still get production from the player. In Vancouver he still displayed elite skating speed. But this offseason, possibly exacerbated by the lack of a contract, Kane has shown that he can't keep his focus on the on-ice game. Be it online flame wars with media personalities, or vague posts about revealing the hidden truths of the NHL, it seems that Kane is embracing drama. That's not something a team chasing the Cup is going to want as a distraction. In Edmonton, if there were locker room concerns, they never found their way into the public eye and we should be thankful for that, our memories of Kane are mostly positive. If he does find a team willing to take its chances on a signing this season, they may end up regretting their decision.
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