Kane arrives with clean slate
DeBoer willing to make trade after getting advice from former coach he trusts
As rumors swirled last weekend that the Sharks were trying to pull off a trade for Evander Kane, the chances of a deal with the Buffalo Sabres seemed unlikely for several reasons.
General manager Doug Wilson made it clear that he wouldn’t be giving away top picks and prospects for shortterm rentals, the reported asking price for Kane was steep and head coach Pete DeBoer is good friends with Winnipeg Jets bench boss Paul Maurice, who coached the 26-year-old forward during his tumultuous tenure in Manitoba.
It seemed likely that DeBoer might have heard a thing or two about Kane’s infamous tracksuit incident in Winnipeg over a beer or two in the summer.
The Jets traded Kane to the Sabres during the 2014-15 season after he showed up to a workout wearing a tracksuit, violating the team’s dress code. Jets defenseman Dustin Byfuglien later threw the tracksuit in the shower, causing Kane to miss a team meeting and skip out on their game later that night.
Kane never played another game with the Jets.
Despite the drama in Winnipeg, DeBoer is convinced that Kane isn’t going to stir up problems in
his dressing room because of what Maurice relayed to him about his experience coaching the embattled forward.
“What gave me confidence is that Paul Maurice spoke really highly of Evander — really highly. That was good enough for me,” the Sharks coach said. “When you’re around players every day all year, there’s always little things that come up. Some of them get blown out of proportion, some of them don’t and are real. I can tell you that Paul had nothing but good things to say about him, and it was a trusted opinion in my mind.
“It wasn’t just smoke.” VLASIC IN THE HUNT >> With the Norris Trophy race wide open this year, Sharks defenseman MarcEdouard Vlasic should get mentioned as a potential candidate for the trophy awarded annually to the NHL’s top defenseman.
Everyone knows that Vlasic is among the top shutdown blue liners in the league. That’s why he got picked to skate for Team Canada at the 2014 Winter Olympics and the 2016 World Cup of Hockey. The difference this season is that Vlasic is putting together a career year offensively, and numbers tend to drive the discussion even though the Norris is a trophy awarded to defensemen.
“One hundred percent he should (get consideration),” DeBoer said. “What he does on a nightly basis for us against the best players in the league, and this year we asked him to get more involved offensively. He’s shown he has that layer to his game, too.
“Norris Trophy or not, if you line up 30 coaches in the league, there’s not many guys you’re taking ahead of him.”
Vlasic ranks third among defensemen in goals since Jan. 1 (6) and seventh in scoring (19), three points behind Dougie Hamilton, who’s second behind Brent Burns.
With nine goals and 28 points on the year, Vlasic has already tied his career high for goals, and he’s going to make a run at topping his best point total (39 points) set in 2015-16.
Although a strong case can be made for Vlasic, the 30-year-old defenseman is convinced that he won’t get a whiff of consideration for the Norris.
“You have to be north of 50, 55 points to even be considered for that award,” he said. “I’m fine with that. I do my job. It doesn’t look flashy, but I’m here to do my thing to win hockey games for my team. I play against the best, shut them down.
“I’m not worried about that stuff. There’s other players that are deserving. Burnzie won it last year, and he deserved it.”
Instead of lobbying for Norris consideration, Vlasic offered another way to give players, like himself, recognition for doing the unsung work on the blue line.
“They should put another trophy in there for best defensive defenseman,” Vlasic said. “There’s a Selke Trophy for best defensive forward. Why isn’t there one for defensemen?” PERFECT TIMING >> Aaron Dell’s recent slump proved to be a blessing in disguise for the Sharks.
After Dell posted a .929 save percentage over his first 40 NHL appearances, the backup goalie looked poised to leave San Jose in free agency this summer or through a trade this winter.
But his numbers started a natural regression toward the mean after he filled in for Jones in January while a lowerbody injury sidelined the Sharks No. 1 goalie for four starts. Over his past six appearances, Dell has posted an .885 save percentage, which likely lowered the demand for his services as last Monday’s trade deadline approached.
The Sharks signed Dell, 28, to a two-year contract extension worth $3.8 million Wednesday, solidifying the goaltending through the 2019-20 season.