Will the Oilers be able to retain Kane or is he one and done?
Evander Kane, staying or going?
Was this only a five-month test drive between Kane and the Edmonton Oilers and he'll take his wheels and ferocity elsewhere as a free agent because somebody can offer more years on a deal? Or does Kane look at being with Connor Mcdavid and Leon Draisaitl and say, “How blessed was I to play with these guys and it's never going to get any better than this?”
Mcdavid, Draisaitl, Zach Hyman and Ryan Nugent-hopkins are here for a long time, but possibly it's one and done for Kane, who had 35 goals and 56 points in 58 games, including the Oilers three-round playoff run.
He hedged his bets when asked about returning or leaving at the team's player availability Tuesday after losing out to Colorado in the Western Conference final.
“I thought it went really well, probably better than I expected,” said Kane. “There's so many different variables, guys. There's lots to sort through and figure out.”
Like contract dollars and length and tax implications. Also, he and his girlfriend just had a baby boy and where they want to live is a consideration.
“When I was in a similar but very different situation, I had the opportunity to pick where I wanted to go. Edmonton was interested in me and I was interested in them. You have two of the best players in the world and a team that wants to win now and is primed to do so,” said Kane.
“I'm happy we had some success and moving forward there's a lot of things that factor into a decision. But I've been very happy with my time here. The fans have been phenomenal, the city has been phenomenal. This has to be the best organization I've played for ... I have no complaints. Just like everybody else, I'm looking forward to seeing what happens.”
A contract will be part of his exit meeting with general manager Ken Holland, right?
“I let my agent Dan Millstein look after that but I'm sure me and Kenny will talk a little bit about it,” said Kane, with a broad smile.
Kane's pluses are self-evident. He keeps the wolves at the door and doesn't let them into the hen house to get at Mcdavid or Draisaitl, and he's also a player the coaches don't have to cajole to step out of their comfort zone to play harder in the playoffs when the games count most. He relishes the heavy going.
Kane, for all of his much reported issues off ice, is the rarest of breeds in today's game. As a forward, he is not only difficult to play against, but can also score. He's the Oilers' equivalent of Nazem Kadri, different positions but difference makers and spit disturbers.
Kane had 13 goals in 15 playoff games with Edmonton and, yes, they could have used him in Game 4 against Colorado if he hadn't lost his head and shoved Kadri into the boards to get a one-game suspension.
The Oilers obviously liked what they saw and got their money's worth ($2 million) and now, going forward, he is critical to what the Oilers need as a Stanley Cup contender — a hard player for their top six, along with fellow winger Hyman, who was terrific in Game 4 against the Avs.
Kane might want to chase the money somewhere else as an unrestricted free agent because his contract in San Jose was terminated with $22.8 million owing with a grievance filed. Perhaps the Sharks and Kane settle on half of what he's owed. But if he loses his appeal, he'll go to the highest bidder. He has debts with creditors looking to get paid.
Term likely is the bigger issue than his annual cap hit. Three years might be as high as the Oilers want to go for a player who turns 31 in August. But others might offer four or five, even if there's a law of diminishing returns on guys in their 30s. They also have goalie Mikko Koskinen's $4.5 million coming off the books as he's signing in Lugano in Switzerland, though they may be signing another goalie depending on Mike Smith's situation.