With the San Jose Sharks terminating Evander Kane’s contract and making him a free agent, NHL trade rumors are starting to circulate that the Toronto Maple Leafs are interested in signing the troublesome forward.
Michael Traikos of Postmedia reports the Leafs are one of a handful of teams very interested in signing Kane to a one-year “show me” contract.
Traikos went on to say, for a team like Toronto, which needs to take a step towards competing for a championship, it might be worth the risk.
It is quite possible the Leafs could face the Tampa Bay Lightning or the Florida Panthers in the first round of the playoffs and another early round exit would likely mean the firing of GM Kyle Dubas. The Leafs are in win now mode and Dubas might take the risk.
Imagine, Kane, a 6-foot-2 and 210-pound power forward on a line with Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner. Or on a third line with Alex Kerfoot and David Kampf. Regardless of where he is slotted, he would make the Maple Leafs a lot deeper than they already are.
Traikos also mentioned the Leafs are not the only teams interested in a Kane signing. The Carolina Hurricanes, Edmonton Oilers, Florida Panthers, Tampa Bay Lightning and Vegas Golden Knights have serious interest.
One last metric to think about, Kane did put up great numbers last year, 49 points in 56 games.
