Kane deal had to be made by Sharks
The Sharks took a big step last season in moving from the past to the future. They’re on the verge of taking the transition to the next level.
According to multiple reports, the team is close to finalizing a contract with free-agent-tobe Evander Kane. The deal, expected to pay $49 million over seven years, is another step in the passing of the torch from Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau to a new generation of players.
While the longterm commitment to Kane is raising eyebrows because of the forward’s checkered past, it’s a deal the Sharks absolutely need to make.
The Sharks are attempting to pull off an extaordinarily difficult trick in the NHL’s salary-cap era: transition from one core to another while maintaining status as perennial Stanley Cup contender. It’s difficult to replace allstar players such as Thornton and Marleau without falling down.
But the Sharks managed to capitalize on a market inefficiency related to Kane. His questionable reputation enabled them to get him for a bargain price at the trade deadline — a first round pick, a fourth-round pick, and Danny O’Regan. With this contract, they’ve essentially replaced Marleau with a player 12 years younger and not much more expensive (less than $350,000) than Marleau was in the final year of his contract with the Sharks.
Bottom line, $7 million per year is the right price to pay for a player who’s a lock to score at least 25 goals a year throughout his contract, assuming he stays healthy.
Kane, 26, also gives the Sharks a speed element that had been
lacking in their top-six forward group. He also brings a physical presence that the team could never get from Marleau and he isn’t afraid to police the ice and stick up for his teammates when needed.
Kane is also a good fit for the Sharks, which should mollify concerns that he’ll become a locker room distraction. In San Jose, Kane can be a big personality without alienating his teammates. Skating in the shadows of the Warriors, 49ers, Raiders and Giants, he won’t be living under the microscope as he was in Winnipeg and Buffalo. Most importantly, the Sharks already have a strong leadership group in place with the likes of Joe Pavelski, Logan Couture and Marc-Edouard Vlasic. If there’s any hint of drama, these guys will quash it. Kane doesn’t need to lead the charge in San Jose, he can just play.
Kane is maturing and, perhaps, putting his past behind him. His decision to sign this deal six weeks before free agency begins, highly uncommon, is an indication of his maturation. highly uncommon.
After leading the Sharks into the playoffs after the trade deadline, Kane could have tested the open market and tried to drive up his price tag even further. This was his chance to cash in and sign the biggest deal of his career.
He loves Las Vegas, so he could have kicked tires on a team that’s headed to the Stanley Cup finals. His hometown squad, the Vancouver Canucks, might also have been interested, given the retirements of the Sedin boys. Kane could have remained patient, too, and kept himself available for the teams who lose out on the John Tavares sweepstakes.
Instead, he accepted what is a fair price for both the team and the player, recognizing how well things worked out during his short stint with the Sharks.
After the Sharks were eliminated from the Stanley Cup playoffs, Kane acknowledged that winning, money and lifestyle would factor into whatever decision he made in free agency. By re-signing with the Sharks, he’s giving himself a chance to check off all three boxes.
On the surface, the Kane deal appears to take the Sharks out of the race for Tavares, the biggest talent to the market in a decade. But by finalizing the contract in May, Kane is giving general manager Doug Wilson wiggle room to make things happen.
By adding another $7 million to the books, the Sharks cap hit for the 201819 season is roughly $67.5 million, giving Wilson $10 million to $15 million to work with depending on high much the salary cap goes up next year (the salary cap is expected to be between $78 million and $82 million next year). Wilson can give himself even more breathing room by buying out the contract of defenseman Paul Martin, who’s slated to make $4.85 million next year.
Regardless, Wilson will be dealing with a lot of moving pieces this summer. Thornton is an unrestricted free agent, Tomas Hertl and Chris Tierney are due for pay raises in restricted free agency and Couture is eligible for a contract extension on July 1. Big decisions will need to be made if he’s going to make a serious run at landing Tavares.
That said, by knocking this item off his to-do list, Wilson bought himself time to put the puzzle pieces into place whether that means cutting ties with Thornton, swinging a trade to open up more cap space or convincing guys, such as Hertl, Couture and Tierney, to sign hometown deals.
Wilson proved again last winter with the Kane trade that he’s a skilled operator when it comes to finding creative ways to make things work. Signing Tavares will require him to solve a Rubik’s Cube, but by getting the Kane contract off his plate, he’s giving himself a good head start.