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Poll: Should The Sharks Have Re-Signed Evander Kane?

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Yesterday the San Jose Sharks made a seven-year, $49MM contract extension for Evander Kane official. With that news, the team will be forced to surrender their first-round pick in one of the next two seasons. Had they let Kane walk after acquiring him from the Buffalo Sabres mid-season, it would have been just a second-round selection. The team had plenty of cap room with only a few players signed long-term, and were expected to be heavily involved in the free agent market this summer. It’s not clear if Kane’s contract takes them out of discussions for a player like John Tavares, as they also have potential extensions for Logan Couture, Joe Pavelski and others to hand out this summer.

It’s a lot to give Kane, who has only hit the 30-goal plateau once and never recorded 60-points in a single season. That said, he has always been considered an elite power forward waiting for the right opportunity, as his skating and puck skills are both excellent. His production after coming to San Jose showed what he is capable of when healthy and performing up to his ceiling, with 13 goals and 19 points in 26 games down the stretch and into the playoffs. If he can continue that production he’ll be more than worthy of the contract, and he won’t turn 27 until later this summer.

There has been quite a bit of discussion over whether the Sharks should have re-signed him, or used that money elsewhere on their roster and in free agency. James van Riemsdyk for instance could likely give you similar offensive numbers, though his all-around game isn’t quite as impactful. James Neal, David Perron, Paul Stastny or even Thomas Vanek are also available this summer, and have long histories of offensive production. None of them are quite as young, but also likely wouldn’t cost as much.

So what do you think? If we assume that Kane wouldn’t have signed for any less than he did, would you have put pen to paper? Would you have agreed to a seven-year deal, knowing that there are other options likely hitting free agency? Is his upside and early production too hard to pass up? What of the draft pick compensation? Vote below, and make sure to explain your reasoning in the comment section.

Should the Sharks have re-signed Evander Kane?
No, there were better options to spend the money on. 51.28% (361 votes)
Yes, his upside and youth make it worth every penny. 48.72% (343 votes)
Total Votes: 704

[Mobile users click here to vote!]

Bryce Brodzinski Commits To The University Of Minnesota

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The youngest of the Brodzinski brothers has decided to follow in the footsteps of his one brother rather than his father, uncle, and other brothers. Bryce Brodzinski, 17, had previously committed to St. Cloud State University, where his oldest brother, Los Angeles Kings forward Jonny Brodzinski, played his college hockey, where another brother, Easton Brodzinski, still plays, and where father Mike Brodzinski and uncle Steve Brodzinski played in the 80’s. However, Bryce has changed course, instead committing to the University of Minnesota, where brother Michael Brodzinski, now of the San Jose Sharks, played. Ironically, this is somewhat the inverse of what his father did, who transferred from Minnesota to St. Cloud after one season of his collegiate career.

The youngest Brodzinski is coming off a strong season with Blaine High School in Minnesota, a program that has greatly benefited from the family for almost a decade now. Bryce had a better than per-game pace in both goals and assists this season as he accumulated 53 points in 25 games. The 6’1” right winger led Blaine in scoring by almost 20 points and finished in the top 30 in the league in both points and points per game. He’ll likely improve even more next season whether he returns to Blaine or enlists in the USHL before joining the Gophers for the 2019-20 season.

As for Bryce Brodzinski’s NHL potential, history would indicate that he is likely to be a fifth-round draft pick or so next year when he first becomes eligible. Both Jonny and Michael were fifth round picks of their current NHL organizations and Bryce and Jonny have similar high school statistics and nearly identical sizes and styles. A rookie in 2017-18, Jonny posted six points in 35 games for the Kings and posted strong numbers in the AHL for a second straight season, leading many to believe he will take on a more regular role in L.A. next year. This should provide some expectations for Bryce as a pro, though he may develop an even higher ceiling while playing at a historically superior program at Michigan and, again ironically, under former St. Cloud head coach Bob Motzko.

Evander Kane Re-Signs With San Jose Sharks

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It’s official, Evander Kane has re-signed with the San Jose Sharks. The new deal is for seven years, and though the team would not officially release the financial details several reports have it totaling $49MM ($7MM AAV). CapFriendly has the specific year-by-year breakdown:

  • 2018-19: $6.0MM salary, $3.0MM signing bonus
  • 2019-20: $6.0MM salary, $2.0MM signing bonus
  • 2020-21: $3.0MM salary, $3.0MM signing bonus
  • 2021-22: $7.0MM salary
  • 2022-23: $5.0MM salary, $2.0MM signing bonus
  • 2023-24: $6.0MM salary
  • 2024-25: $4.0MM salary, $2.0MM signing bonus

The deal also includes a modified no-trade clause, allowing Kane to submit a three-team list to where he can be traded. The deal isn’t as front-loaded as we’ve seen, but still gives Kane a lot of the money up front in signing bonuses, making it more difficult to buyout in the future should it come to that. Sharks’ GM Doug Wilson obviously doesn’t think it will, and released a glowing review of Kane in his accompanying statement:

At only 26 years old, Evander has established himself as one of hockey’s true power forwards and an impact player. We think his abilities mesh perfectly with our group of skilled, young players and veteran leaders. It’s extremely heartening to have Evander join a trend of elite players who have chosen to remain in San Jose. It speaks volumes as to how players view this organization and further illustrates the continued commitment to our fans by our owner Hasso Plattner.

Kane came over from the Buffalo Sabres at the trade deadline for a package that included Daniel O’Regan, a conditional fourth-round pick and a conditional first-round pick. The condition on that first rounder has now been met, and the Sharks will have to send their selection in 2019 to the Sabres. If however the Sharks miss the playoffs next year, they can send their 2020 first-round selection instead.

The former Atlanta Thrashers draft pick has had an up-and-down career to say the least, but seemed to find his footing in San Jose after the deadline. With 14 points—including nine goals—in 17 games down the stretch, and another five points in nine playoff contests, Kane was a huge part of the Sharks’ offense and seemed to mesh instantly with their top-six. Kane entered the league only two months after turning 18, which has allowed him to hit free agency as one of the youngest players on the market. He won’t turn 27 until August, giving the Sharks plenty of prime years left on this contract.

Still, even with his relative youth and early success for the team this contract comes with its fair share of risk. Kane has only scored 30 goals once in the NHL, and still doesn’t have a 60-point season to his name. Some of that is due to the inconsistent play he showed for teams like Winnipeg and Buffalo, but also the injury concerns that have plagued him every year. There’s never been a season that Kane has played in more than 78 games, with that total coming just this year. Though there are no glaring chronic concerns in his injury history, there is a question of whether his physical style can be maintained long-term. The Sharks are obviously paying for more than just his offensive output, as $7MM per season is only given to the league’s elite. This season, only 25 forwards carried a cap hit of $7MM or greater.

Obviously the team felt that he was worth the contract, but this does add some more intrigue to the free agent class in 2018. This summer’s group is full of scoring wingers, with names like James van Riemsdyk, James Neal and David Perron all available for the right price. Though none of them compare exactly to the type of player Kane is, they all are successful scoring options that can bring a big-bodied presence to the front of the net. Each of their prices likely went up with this contract, and could change whether their respective teams are able to retain them.

For Kane, this is a perfect outcome after struggling to find much consistency throughout his career. The fourth-overall pick from 2009 will now have some long-term stability with the Sharks, and should be given every chance to become one of the league’s best goal scorers. He also becomes the only Sharks forward signed past the 2019-20 season, meaning he may be looked to as their key veteran weapon down the road. Joe Thornton, Joe Pavelski and Logan Couture are all nearing free agency, while younger players like Tomas Hertl, Chris Tierney and Timo Meier look ready to take over as the next wave of core Sharks forwards.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Sharks Nearing Long-Term Extension With Evander Kane

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The San Jose Sharks were clearly happy enough with the play of trade deadline acquisition Evander Kane that they are willing to do whatever it takes to bring him back, which appears to be giving him extensive term and salary and surrendering their first-round draft pick in 2019. Sportsnet’s Irfaan Gaffar reports that the two sides are closing in on a long-term extension, the terms of which appear to be in the seven-year, $49MM range. Per the terms of their trade with the Buffalo Sabres, if Kane does re-sign in San Jose than the second-round pick exchanged in the deal will be elevated to a first-rounder.

It is certainly understandable why the Sharks would want to bring back Kane. The 26-year-old power forward is coming off arguably the best season of his career and certainly his best campaign since being traded to Buffalo from the Winnipeg Jets in 2015. Kane finished the year with 29 goals and 54 points and nine of those goals along with five assists came during the 17-game span that he spent in San Jose to close out the regular season. Kane was the Sharks’ best player during the stretch run and continued to play well in his first ever playoff appearance, notching four goals and an assist in nine games while battling injury. If Kane keeps up that level of play in San Jose, he could be a perennial 30-goal scorer and the type of finisher that the team has sorely lacked outside of Logan Couture. 

Nevertheless, some will balk at the cost associated with re-signing Kane, especially after this report. Giving up a first-round pick has already scared away some fans and analysts alike when the idea of the Sharks bringing back Kane first came up. However, this rumored term and salary is also likely to turn more than a few heads. Though undeniably talented, Kane has been able to put together a complete star-caliber season just twice in his career and brings both off-ice issues and on-ice consistency and effort concerns. Granted, he appeared to fit well and play hard in San Jose, but that is not guaranteed to continue and especially not over seven years or so. The Sharks have enough cap space this season to target some of the biggest names on the market and enough talent to attract those players as well, but some will speculate that an extension for Kane of this amount would take them out of the running for a John Tavares or John Carlson, which could also upset fans and eliminate a major opportunity for San Jose.

However, the Sharks acquired Kane primarily for this year’s playoff run and he performed beyond expectations for a very fair price – Danny O’Regan, a second-rounder, and a fourth-rounder. Even if that pick becomes a first-round selection next year, it still isn’t an extreme over-payment by the Sharks given what they got out of Kane. San Jose now has exclusive right to negotiate with Kane, something they don’t have with the likes of Tavares and Carlson and something that they’ll lose come July 1st. If the team feels that an extension based on his strong trial run is the right move and the best way to use the bulk of their cap space, then doing what it takes to keep Kane, a top five free agent, from hitting the market makes sense. There is absolutely risk associated with a decision of this reported magnitude, but it could pay off for GM Doug Wilson and the Sharks.

William Carrier’s Return For Vegas Is Uncertain

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When William Carrier was first ruled out of the final game of the second round for the Golden Knights, a Game Six win over the San Jose Sharks, head coach Gerard Gallant simply said that he was “day-to-day” and did not disclose the nature of the injury. Carrier had left Game Five with just four minutes of ice time to show for his participation, but there was no specific incident in the game to cite for his exit. Instead, it seemed that perhaps this was just a minor nagging injury. Carrier then traveled with Vegas to Winnipeg for the start of the Western Conference Finals only to be ruled out of Game One. Now, beat writer Steve Carp reports that Carrier did not skate today at Knights practice and feels that the energy forward is unlikely to suit up in the series at all. If the Jets’ Game One domination continues, Carrier’s season may already be over.

Although no details have emerged about Carrier’s condition this time around, the physical winger has dealt with upper-body issues all year long. Carrier spent two separate stints on the injured reserve this season and was sidelined for 43 regular season games total. Yet, prior to each stint his injuries were downplayed and never considered serious, much like his latest problem. It could be that this is one injury that has been nagging Carrier all year or it could be bad luck and Carrier has suffered multiple injuries, but is too tough of a player for Gallant and company to realized just how serious his condition is initially.

When healthy this year, Carrier has been a physical force on the Knights’ fourth line. While his offense has been meager at best – three points in 37 regular games and scoreless so far in nine playoff games – look no further than Vegas’ first round series against the Los Angeles Kings to see Carrier’s true impact. The young forward racked up 25 hits in a four-game sweep during which time he saw just over 36 minutes of total ice time. That is checking efficiency at it’s finest, as Carrier was noticeably bothersome against the frustrated Kings, especially early in the series. In a match-up against the Jets where the Knights are clearly outmatched defensively, Carrier is much more of a loss than it may seem on paper. His hard-nosed style will be missed if Carp is right and he really cannot return during the Western Conference Final.

San Jose Sharks Could Look Very Similar Next Season

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Many have felt for some time now that the San Jose Sharks could be a team to watch in the upcoming off-season. It’s not often that a team can have the depth and talent of a contender with almost all of their key players locked up and also have an immense amount of cap space, but that is the exact situation that the Sharks are facing this summer. Joe Pavelski, Logan Couture, Brent Burns, and Marc-Edouard Vlasic are all elite players under contract, while reliable pieces like Mikkel Boedker, Justin Braun, and Brenden Dillon have term remaining as well. Yet, the Sharks will still enter the off-season with nearly $15MM in cap space and few holes to fill. For that reason, some have speculated that John Tavares or John Carlson could be headed for San Jose or that the team could load up on other second-tier top free agents.

However, the Sharks are actually somewhat limited in what they can do this summer. A side effect of having so many players locked up is that San Jose actually has little flexibility in terms of straightforward roster management on the free agent market. The Sharks have just nine free agents total, unrestricted and restricted, far and away the fewest in the league as most teams generally have about twenty. Entering the off-season, they will already have 38 of their 50 maximum contracts already in place for next season. Assuming that key restricted free agents like Tomas Hertl, Chris Tierney, and Dylan DeMelo return, that number is already up to 41. It is almost fortunate that top prospects Josh Norris, Scott Reedy, and Mario Ferraro all chose to return to their college teams or that number would be even higher.

Regardless, the Sharks will be left with less than ten slots to add new players unless they start to trade away or buyout existing contracts. If long-time leader and fan favorite Joe Thornton re-signs, there is one less. If deadline addition Evander Kane, who has fit in very well in San Jose, decides to stay put, there’s another one. If the Sharks land a player worth immediate ice time at #21 in the first round of the NHL Draft, that’s yet another spot filled up. No team wants to enter the season with so few contract slots that their hands are tied when the opportunity to make a trade to improve the roster comes around. San Jose also doesn’t want to sign too many multi-year deals with players like Couture, Pavelski, Timo Meier, and Joakim Ryan in need of extensions next season as well.

As such, the Sharks actually seem likely to make only one or two free agent additions this summer – as they did last summer – unless major trades open up some more space in the organization. Could one of those additions be a Tavares or a Carlson? Sure, but if those players choose to go elsewhere, San Jose instead seems far likely to stick with what they have and go into next season with flexibility. Don’t expect the drastically different Sharks roster that some have predicted – it may only lead to a letdown of expectations this summer.

Morning Notes: Bruins, Wild, Kane

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The Boston Bruins will have several players head to unrestricted free agency this summer, and today GM Don Sweeney spoke about the chance of re-signing them. Though Anton Khudobin has already made it clear he wants to re-sign, and Rick Nash is open to the possibility, Sweeney doesn’t sound confident everyone will be back.

Haven’t definitively ruled anybody out…we would like to bring everyone back, but that’s not realistic in cap environment.

The Bruins currently project to have between $12-15MM in space next season depending on where the cap ceiling lands, but have to make sure they don’t get into any undesirable long-term commitments. With five forwards taking up over $32MM combined for the next three seasons, and new contracts due before long for Charlie McAvoy, Brandon Carlo, Ryan Donato and Jake Debrusk, bringing back Nash—or even Riley Nash, who is also set to become a UFA on July 1st—may be out of the question.

  • The Minnesota Wild have not made their final decision on who will become GM, as Michael Russo of The Athletic reports they have a round of interviews scheduled for next week. Paul Fenton of the Nashville Predators and Tom Fitzgerald of the New Jersey Devils will both be involved in those interviews, while Bill Zito (Columbus), John Ferguson Jr. (Boston) and Dave Nonis (Anaheim) have all sat down with Wild owner Craig Leipold at one point or another. The Wild are not rushing a decision, and Brent Flahr is currently overseeing day-to-day operations for the club.
  • The San Jose Sharks have made it clear they intend to try and re-sign Evander Kane, and he made it clear today what his three priorities are. Kane told Sportsnet that money, lifestyle and a chance to win are the “common sense” priorities for any free agent, but wouldn’t go into how he personally ranks them. The 26-year old winger found immediate success with the Sharks, but will cost the team an extra asset to re-sign. San Jose would be forced to upgrade the pick sent to Buffalo to a first-round selection should Kane re-sign this summer.

Sharks Intend To Start Contract Discussions With Kane In Near Future

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Following a strong showing after being acquired at the trade deadline, the Sharks intend to try to re-sign pending unrestricted free agent winger Evander Kane this offseason, reports Paul Gackle of the Bay Area News Group.  For his part, Kane admitted that he would be open to returning but he isn’t ready to commit to anything just yet.

That won’t stop GM Doug Wilson from trying to get something done in advance, however.  He acknowledged that he intends to sit down with Kane and his agent “in the next little while”.  San Jose has plenty of cap space to work with this summer so from a financial standpoint, they should be able to be among the high bidders for his services if they want.  If the Sharks are able to re-sign him, the 2019 second-round pick they sent to Buffalo as part of the trade would instead become their 2019 first-rounder.

Sharks Notes: Couture, Hertl, DeBoer

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Last offseason, Sharks general manager Doug Wilson signed defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic and goalie Martin Jones to long-term deals. This offseason, the front office will look to do the same with center Logan Couture.

The 29-year-old will be headed into the final season of a five-year, $30MM contract he signed back in 2013. After having spent his entire career with the organization (and after having led the Sharks with 34 goals last season), Couture is hoping his career will continue in San Jose.

“I’ve always made it pretty clear that this is the place I want to play,” Couture told Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News. “I’m biased, obviously, but this is the best place to play hockey in the world.”

Wilson seemed to echo that sentiment.

“His play spoke volumes,” Wilson said. “When guys went down or (Patrick Marleau) wasn’t coming back, guys stepping up and showing what they’re made of. They’re ready to have even bigger roles on this team. He’s played internationally…People respect what Logan Couture has done. You take a look at the numbers, what he did a couple of years ago, what he did this year, in the playoffs — he’s a really important part of this organization both now and the future, absolutely.”

Let’s take a look at more notes out of San Jose, all via Pashelka…

  • Forward Tomas Hertl, who established career-highs in goals (22) and average ice time (18:06) this past season, will be headed to restricted free agency this summer. Predictably, Wilson indicated that he’d like the 24-year-old to return. “Tomas is a really important part of how he played is exactly how we expected him,” Wilson said. “He stepped it up to the next level. Looking in this league how the game is played, he’s got size, he’s got hockey sense. He’s a guy that is truly a difference maker…I think his game is only going to get better. He’s a big part of this franchise.”
  • Hertl is in line for a long-term contract after completing the two-year bridge contract he signed back in 2016, and it sounds like he’d like to stick around. “We’ll see what happens, but I love it here with the Sharks,” Hertl said. “The team, organization, everybody. We’ll see. My agent, Doug hopefully figure it out soon. I want to just get it done. It would be nice. I don’t want to go anywhere. I want to stay here and hopefully win Cups.”
  • As Pashelka writes, it’s uncertain how long Pete DeBoer’s contract is, but Wilson confirmed that the coach will be back next season. The Sharks will also retain assistants Steve Spott, Rob Zettler, Dave Barr, Johan Hedberg and Dan Darrow. “I think our coaches did a very good job. They were a part of this journey and this plan,” Wilson said. “When we talk transition, every team in the league had to transition how the game is played, where it’s at, where it’s going. And I think not only the inclusion of some younger players, but adjusting how we play. I think Pete and our coaching staff are open-minded, curious, and have done a very good job. And yes, they are our coaches going forward.”
  • As we heard earlier today, Joe Thornton attempted to come back from a torn right ACL and MCL he suffered back in January. The veteran also indicated that he wanted to return to the Sharks on a one-year deal.

Joe Thornton Had Torn ACL, MCL In Right Knee

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Stop if you’ve heard this story before, but Joe Thornton was trying to play on torn knee ligaments. The star center for the San Jose Sharks revealed Tuesday to Curtis Pashelka of the Mercury News that he suffered a torn right ACL and MCL on January 23rd, but was attempting to return to the lineup during the playoffs. He’ll now shut down his rehab for the time being and be ready for the start of the 2018-19 season. Thornton suffered the same injury last season, but in his left knee.

Thornton also made it clear that he would love to return to the Sharks next season, and that he’d be willing to sign another one-year deal. The Sharks were recently eliminated by the Vegas Golden Knights, ending their playoff run early once again. San Jose has had trouble finding any postseason success throughout Thornton’s time there, and they may decide it’s time to move on. Even on a one-year deal, there is little chance that Thornton will be earning $8MM again next season after an injury-ravaged season.

Once a perennial Hart Trophy candidate, the 38-year old Thornton has now had major knee injuries in back to back seasons and was limited to just 47 games in 2017-18. His production in those games was still excellent with 36 points, but it will be hard to rely on his health going forward. If the Sharks decide to go in a different direction—and with a pending unrestricted free agent in Evander Kane, and their sights perhaps set on another superstar center—they might decide it’s best if Thornton takes his talents elsewhere. Like Patrick Marleau last season, if Thornton decides he wants a multi-year contract, the Sharks may not be willing to match it.

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