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The Vancouver Canucks could be regretting their acquisition of a veteran his past offseason, per one notable analyst.
The Vancouver Canucks took a bit of a gamble this past offseason by trading for veteran forward Evander Kane. Kane missed all of last season due to surgery to repair a sports hernia. But he returned in the postseason for the Edmonton Oilers. In 21 postseason games, Kane scored six goals and 12 points.
It wasn’t a bad showing. But with the Oilers running into cap issues, moving the 34-year-old made sense. So, Edmonton sent Kane to the Canucks for a fourth-round pick. The move was a homecoming for the Vancouver native.
The initial reaction was that Kane could have been the missing piece for the Canucks this season. But a terrible season, coupled with the Quinn Hughes saga, pretty much sunk the team. Now, the Canucks are looking to unload all of their impending UFAs.
That plan includes Evander Kane.
As such, the circumstances surrounding the Kane trade have led insider Sean McIndoe of The Athletic to speculate the Canucks could be regretting the move.
McIndoe wrote the following in a January 1 piece:
“On some level, bringing in a hometown veteran in the twilight of his career makes a certain amount of sense, even if the $5.1 million cap hit was always going to represent a gamble. Unfortunately, Kane hasn’t been worth the price, with just six goals on the season. But the bigger problem is that the plan has clearly changed in Vancouver, where the focus has shifted to the future. Kane is a pending UFA, so if they can flip him for decent assets between now and March, maybe it’s all washes out in the end. That might be easier said than done, though.”
Indeed, trading Kane may not be quite so easy.
Canucks’ Plans Hinge on Sherwood Trade
The Canucks’ player drawing the most interest this season is Kiefer Sherwood. Sherwood has had a very good season and is on several contenders’ radar. That situation has made him a highly coveted piece around the league.
The chatter regarding Sherwood is that the Canucks could trade him soon, as in, this month. Vancouver will likely want to deal Sherwood and then move on to Kane. The club wants to maximize its return for Sherwood. That’s why trading Kane before Sherwood could disrupt the Canucks’ plans.
Kane Trade Could Net Vancouver Draft Picks
Even if the Canucks could find willing trade partners, the return on Kane wouldn’t be mind-shocking. Considering the Oilers let him go for a fourth-rounder, Vancouver could expect something similar.
Perhaps a desperate team may be willing to pony up a draft pick and a prospect. But that would be wishful thinking. But make no mistake. Evander Kane is still an effective NHLer. So, he could prove everyone wrong by landing on a contending team that gives him an opportunity to succeed.
For the Canucks, trading Kane is just part of the emerging rebuild. Whatever the team can get back will be a boost to the rebuild. Although there might still be a chance that Kane remains with his hometown team. It would be a fitting end to his career, whenever that happens.
Nestor Quixtan Seasoned NHL analyst and baseball writer focused on covering clubs across each league with news, analysis, and insights. Originally from Toronto, Canada, Nestor’s singular experiences and background have enabled him to bring a different take on the sports world as a whole. Nestor’s fondness for baseball and hockey set the tone for his love and passion for writing about sports. More about Nestor Quixtan
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