Evander Kane makes his return to the NHL. The bad boy of the NHL makes his return after getting his contract terminated in early January 2022. Ken Holland decided that his Edmonton Oilers needed just a little more firepower up front alongside Connor Mcdavid and Leon Draisaitl, he got just that in the controversial Evander Kane. Holland and Evander Kane came to an agreement with a cap hit of two million dollars for the rest of the season. Kane has carved out an impressive NHL career filled with lots of goals and assists to go along with lots of suspensions and drama.
Troubled History
As previously mentioned Kane is not new to getting in trouble with the NHL. Throughout his NHL career, he has been accused of many problematic acts on and off the ice. On the ice, Kane has always been a player known to play on the edge and occasionally cross that line to turn a simple play into a dangerous one.
Off the ice, Kane has been accused of several different crimes that have gotten him in trouble. His ex-wife Anna Kane claims that he gambled on his games with bookies over the course of his career. The NHL investigated the claim but was unable to find evidence of any gambling on NHL games.
Kane recently served a suspension for yet another off the ice conflict he got into. Similar to Antonio Brown of the NFL, Kane submitted a fake vaccination card to the league. He was promptly suspended for 21 games and concluded his suspension in November 2021. After serving his suspension he was sent to the AHL to play for the Barracuda. Initially, he did not want to report to the AHL but he would eventually change his mind. He played just five games with the Barracuda before getting in yet another scandal. In those five games, he scored two goals and six assists for eight points.
This most recent scandal came about because Kane violated the COVID-19 policies when he returned home in Vancouver. Obviously, the NHL and the San Jose Sharks are tired of Kane’s antics and decided to get rid of him as soon as possible.
What Does Evander Kane Bring to the Oilers?
Despite his troubled past, Evander Kane has proved to be a dangerous payer with the ability to put pucks into the net. During his 12 season NHL career, he has bounced around the league playing for the Atlanta Thrashers and Winnipeg Jets franchise as well as the Buffalo Sabres and San Jose Sharks. Over his 769 game career, Kane has scored 264 goals and 242 assists for 506 points. In his most recent season, he scored 22 goals and 27 assists for the San Jose Sharks in the 56 games shortened season. Paired alongside Leon Draisatl or Connor Mcdavid, general manager Ken Holland hopes Kane will be yet another scoring threat in the top six. The Oilers need as much help as possible to get out of this losing funk.
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