A conceptual look at Evander Kane in the victory green uniform of the Dallas Stars as trade rumors intensify between the Stars and the Vancouver Canucks.
The tear-down in Vancouver has officially reached “scorched earth” status. If shipping out franchise cornerstone Quinn Hughes to Minnesota last month didn’t signal the end of an era, today’s news certainly clears up any lingering doubts.
According to a report from CHEK-TV’s Rick Dhaliwal, the Vancouver Canucks have officially permitted Evander Kane’s agent to seek a trade partner for the 34-year-old winger. This is a classic maneuver in the modern NHL; when management hits a wall finding a taker for a veteran contract, they hand the keys to the representation to see if they can orchestrate a soft landing.
Kane is in the final season of his contract, carrying a cap hit of $5.125 million, and is set to hit unrestricted free agency on July 1. With the Canucks pivoting hard into a rebuild—evidenced by the recent departures of Hughes and Kiefer Sherwood—keeping a pending UFA with a 16-team trade list serves zero purpose for the franchise’s long-term timeline.
The writing is on the wall, but the destination is where things get interesting.
Why the Dallas Stars and Evander Kane are a Perfect Match
As an analyst who has watched the market shift this season, the connection between Kane and the Dallas Stars is almost too logical to ignore.
The Stars are currently in the thick of a Stanley Cup window but are arguably lacking that specific brand of “snot and sandpaper” in their middle six. They need a player who can score dirty goals in April and May, and despite being 34, Kane still possesses that edge.
While Dallas is navigating a tight cap situation with only about $3.2 million in available space, they hold the one thing Vancouver desperately craves: draft capital. Unlike other contenders who have emptied the cupboard, Dallas possesses two second-round picks and a third-round pick in the next two drafts. This gives them the flexibility to outbid rivals without trading away their top-tier prospects.
The Cost of Business
What does a deal look like? If Vancouver retains salary—which they absolutely must to make the math work for Dallas—the return should be respectable.
I believe the likely package centers around a 2026 or 2027 Third Round Pick, potentially sweetened with a 4th or 5th rounder depending on how much salary Vancouver eats. For Dallas, overpaying slightly in draft picks is a justifiable expense. Their prospect pool is stable, and their window to win is now. They aren’t looking for a project; they are looking for a playoff performer.
The Canucks management has struggled to find a taker so far, likely due to that $5.125 million price tag. But with Kane’s agent now working the phones, and a motivated trade partner in Texas, expect this situation to resolve quickly.
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