San Jose Sharks Acquire Evander Kane from Buffalo
By Andrew Bet
The San Jose Sharks pull off one of the most significant trades at the NHL deadline in acquiring forward Evander Kane from the Buffalo Sabres for the stretch run.
In a critical road stretch against Central Division opponents, the San Jose Sharks turned a promising start into a lackluster outing. The Sharks managed to grab only three points from the four games with a win against the Blues and an overtime loss to the Wild in Minnesota.
After defeating the sputtering Blues in St. Louis, the Sharks turned in their worst performance of the season in Nashville. Aaron Dell got the start and perhaps would like to have a redo as the third period became a nightmare in a 7-1 defeat.
Two points appeared likely in the Windy City as the lifeless Chicago Blackhawks will not be making a postseason appearance. Instead, bad habits from Nashville quickly ensued in Chicago as the Sharks played down to a lesser opponent.
San Jose Sharks
The Sharks could not generate enough traffic in front of the Blackhawks’ netminder in a 3-1 loss. Timo Meier continued his impressive run with his fifteenth goal of the year. Unfortunately, the worst goal celebration song, “Chelsea Dagger,” got played three times.
Martin Jones came to play against the Wild, flashing his form which got San Jose to the Stanley Cup Final back in 2016. A solid start quickly began to go downhill in the second period as the Wild gained a territorial edge in the shots on goal department.
Minnesota struck late in the second period to the Sharks lead, 2-1.
A lousy turnover, late in overtime, proved to be the difference as the Sharks skated off with only one point. Justin Braun did not play in the game due to an illness, but the Sharks did not sustain any pressure after taking a 2-0 lead.
As a result, from the four-game trip, the Sharks remain in second place in the Pacific Division but have some company with Anaheim, Calgary, and Los Angeles all contending for playoff positioning. San Jose has little room for error now.
Goal production became apparent as Nashville, Chicago, and Minnesota outscored the Sharks by a 13-4 margin. Without Joe Thornton in the lineup, the Sharks are missing an element to be legitimate contenders in the playoffs. The Sharks have kept their identity of playing hard no matter the deficit but appears to be taking a toll.
Before the start of the season, the Sharks’ salary cap space had plenty of room for Doug Wilson. He made the decision to allow younger players from the Barracuda, the Sharks’ AHL affiliate, to earn roster spots out of camp.
Joakim Ryan is the only player to have taken advantage of the opportunity from the Barracuda. Paired with defense partner, Brent Burns, Ryan is growing into a solid NHL defenseman for the Sharks for many years to come.
Wilson also stated he would not dive into the trade market for a rental player unless the player could be signed in the offseason. With scoring depth a concern, Wilson pulled the trigger before the deadline to grab Kane.
Kane immediately brings a threat to light the lamp as the 26-year-old currently has 20 goals this season with Buffalo. He was formerly drafted fourth overall in the 2009 entry draft by the Atlanta Thrashers.
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He will likely be paired on the first or second line. Kane has played with Joe Pavelski for a brief time overseas during the last NHL lockout. Expect him to be on the top power play unit as special teams have gone cold recently for the Sharks.
Solid at the forward position, Kane’s attitude is suspect. Incidents in the locker rooms with teammates from the Jets and Sabres have gotten criticism on how Kane conducts himself on and off the ice.
For Kane, the Sharks give him an opportunity to make his debut in the NHL Playoffs for the first time in his career. At 26, he is the perfect player for Wilson to continue his transition effort with the current team.
John Tavares is the top prize in free agency this offseason should he opt to not re-sign with the Islanders. With plenty of cap space on hand, Kane is doing an audition to be a possible face of the franchise for the Sharks.
In exchange for Kane, the Sharks sent a conditional draft picks (2019 and 2020) and Daniel O’Regan to Buffalo. The pick in 2019 becomes a first-rounder if Kane re-signs in San Jose and second-round should he sign elsewhere. In 2020, the pick is a fourth-round selection.
O’Regan emerged after an impressive campaign with the Barracuda last season. He played primarily on the fourth line at center, posting four assists in 19 games with the Sharks.
His size was lacking as he often got bumped off the puck easily by defenders and could not generate enough offense at a consistent level. He became disposable after the Sharks acquired Eric Fehr to provide stability at the fourth line.
Overall, the Sharks made a good hockey trade in acquiring a young player who has yet to enter his prime. Wilson did gamble with sending future assets away but given the recent drafts by San Jose; the trade route is the best answer for the Sharks to stay relevant.
Next: San Jose Sharks: Playoff Implications on the Line
A chance to stay long-term is in the cards for Kane should he provide a positive impact to the Sharks. If he can find chemistry early with his new teammates, San Jose could make noise in the postseason minus the services of Thornton.