After the Edmonton Oilers were eliminated by the Colorado Avalanche in four games, Evander Kane's mind has shifted from the playoffs to his battle with the San Jose Sharks.
Kane and the NHLPA filed a grievance over the termination of his previous contract, and one hearing has already taken place. There will be another hearing soon, and if Kane wins the grievance, the Sharks will be required to pay a good remainder of Kane's salary. Along with this, Kane would technically be the property of the San Jose Sharks once again.
On the other hand, if the Sharks win the grievance, Kane will be able to sign wherever he pleases and will not be owed any of his previous salary from the Sharks. So, back to if Kane wins the grievance; the Sharks would have a couple of options on what to do with the veteran forward. One option would be to try and trade him, but he does have a three-team trade clause which likely includes the Oilers. Another option would be to buy him out if they could not find a trade. The last option would be for the two sides to live happily ever after with Kane playing in San Jose for the next six seasons which seems very unlikely.
The Sharks would likely have to retain salary in any Kane trade, so if Kane wins the grievance San Jose will be losing money no matter what they do. If the Sharks win, then Kane can do what he pleases, and this seems to be the least messy of the situations available.
Theory raised by @FriedgeHNIC on Jeff Marek Show: If Evander Kane wins grievance, and the Sharks have to take back the contract, might SJS trade Kane (to EDM?) and retain part of the deal (3x$7m)?
Kane w/$5m AAV could be an attractive addition for a few teams, no?— Curtis Pashelka (@CurtisPashelka) June 7, 2022