New Detail Revealed in Evander Kane Trade Talks

The San Jose Sharks will have forward Evander Kane as an eligible player by the end of the month, however management continues to work the phones looking for a trade. Turns out the Sharks have recently changed their tone on a certain aspect of any deal.

According to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, the Sharks are now willing to retain salary on Kane's contract. The veteran forward is owed $7 million per season through 2024-25. While there's certainly a ton of baggage secured to Kane's hockey equipment, he's coming off the best season of his career where he recorded 22 goals and 49 points in 56 games. 

Friedman had this to say on the Jeff Marek Show:

One of the things that I have heard is that the Sharks have let it be known that if somebody is interested, they would retain, if a deal could be worked out

Kane is the prototypical power forward who is not shy to stick up for himself or teammates, plays a heavy/physical game and has the ability to put the puck in the net. The hardest thing to do in the NHL is score and Kane does it efficiently. 

This trade is an optics nightmare for the ownership group of whichever team decides to acquire Kane. They will have to massage through the backlash from fans and the media and they better be prepared for the storm of questions that follow. The Sharks on the other hand are hoping trade offers storm their desk over the next couple of weeks.

Photo credit: Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports