The Edmonton Oilers are trying to make it into the Stanley Cup playoffs. Oilers add some offensive punch signing left winger Evander Kane. The San Jose Sharks terminated Kane’s contract and put the 30-year-old on unconditional waivers which he cleared and became a free agent. Kane could have signed anywhere. Maybe not anywhere, but the few teams that would take a gamble on his services. The Oilers came calling. Kane has been under the microscope by the NHL league for gambling accusations made that he bet on NHL games, by his X-Wife Anna. Kane has a gambling problem and is a serious addict for which he owes thousands. The same X-wife also claims domestic abuse from her former husband, that Kane is responsible for. Nobody on the San Jose Sharks wanted to play with Kane. Why would the Oilers take a risk on a guy like Kane coming in with so much baggage?

What Evander Kane does best is score goals. Kane has 266 goals in 13 seasons in the NHL. Kane already has 2 goals in three games in an Oiler uniform. Kane is capable of scoring 20 or more goals per season if he’s on the ice and concentrating on his craft. In the 2018-19 season, Kane had 30 tallies for the Sharks. The owner of the Oilers believes in second chances. That is why they reached out and signed Kane, which gives Edmonton another guy that can put the biscuit in the basket. Oilers only have 4 guys on the roster with double digit goals this season. Edmonton ranks 26th in the NHL with an average of about 2.50 goals per game.

Can Evander Kane be a good citizen? I think it has been San Jose’s mission to end ties with Kane who was in his 4th year of a seven year commitment worth 49 Million. Besides the gambling being a problem and Kane’s marriage problems, Evander received a 21-game suspension for using a fake Covid-19 vaccination card. Traveling across the US and Canadian border during hockey business is a breach of contract for violating the league’s Covid-19 protocols. What goes around comes around. After the suspension, Kane was assigned to the AHL San Jose Barracuda team. Kane played in 5 games for the Barracudas and then tested positive for Covid -19. Kane violated the AHL Covid-19 protocols as he traveled before the 10-day period which required medical clearance. Kane was supposed to report back to the Barracudas on New Year’s Eve. Kane wandered back January 6th. This was the smoking gun for the Sharks as they gave Evander Kane the boot and put him on the unconditional waivers on purpose to buy out the troubled winger’s contract. The NHL players association filed a grievance on Kane’s behalf.

The Oilers last off-season added former veteran defenseman Duncan Keith to the mix in a trade with the Chicago Blackhawks. Keith has playoff experience helping Chicago win three cups. Keith on his last legs could still contribute. Adding Evander Kane, the Oilers do not have to give up anything. It’s also a low cost deal worth only 1 Million and it’s a one year deal. If Kane does come back to haunt them, both sides can go their separate ways next season. Adding some scoring can take pressure off Edmonton studs Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. Kane can strengthen one of the lines that McDavid or Draisaitl play on. Kane’s addition also could improve one of the weakest lines that don’t have the superstar scorer on them. If Kane can put his circus life off the ice aside and play hockey, this move can help the Oilers make it to the post-season and perhaps get them past the first round. If Kane’s demons haunt him, this might be his last chance to make the NHL money. Obviously Kane has filed bankruptcy at least once which tells you he may need more than the NHL money to solve his gambling addiction. Kane could go down the road where they find his body floating by the docks if he does not get his life together. Meanwhile the San Jose Sharks wash their hands of this oil slick they have been dealing with the last few seasons. In the end, the Sharks may have to pay their former player some money from that contract they terminated. The Sharks removed the cancerous tumor they did not want in their locker room.