Sharks officially sign Kane for 7 years
SAN JOSE, Calif. — Evander Kane knew San Jose was a good fit when Joe Thornton showed up for a late-night airport pickup following a trade-deadline deal.
That comfort was only reinforced over the next 10 weeks on the ice and in the dressing room. It left Kane with an easy choice as he headed toward free agency.
Kane bypassed a chance at the open market by signing a seven-year contract on Thursday worth $49 million to stay with the Sharks for the long term.
“It’s good to be wanted and I wanted them just as much as they wanted me,” Kane said. “The fact that we were able to work out a deal so quickly reflects that. Obviously, when you’re a free agent, you have the option to do what you want and I made it clear to them that I didn’t want to go anywhere else.”
Kane will be paid $9 million the first year of the deal, followed by salaries of $8 million, $6 million, $7 million, $7 million and two years at $6 million, according to a person familiar with the deal who spoke on condition of anonymity because terms were not released. He also has a limited no-trade clause.
Kane, who turns 27 in August, was acquired from Buffalo at the trade deadline in February and became a key part of San Jose’s team down the stretch and in the playoffs.
Under the terms of that trade, the Sabres will get a first-round pick in 2019 instead of a second-rounder because Kane signed with San Jose. The selection is lottery-protected, so it could be moved to 2020, but the Sharks aren’t concerned about that price.
“I think we all felt comfortable that this was a guy that could help us win,” said coach Peter DeBoer.