Sharks Rumors

NHL Opens New Investigation Into Evander Kane

September 28, 2021 at 11:15 am CDT | by Gavin Lee

Sep 28: Though Kane has been cleared of the gambling allegations, two new investigations will keep him away from training camp for the time being. The Sharks released a statement on September 23 explaining that the two sides had agreed he will stay away from camp until the matter is resolved. Today, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports that the league is investigating a potential breach of COVID protocol, though could not provide any details on the violation. In a story published on NHL.com when the gambling investigation was concluded, the league announced that there was an “allegation of inappropriate behavior potentially jeopardizing the health and safety of Club members.”

Sep 22: The NHL has concluded its investigation into Evander Kane and the allegations that he gambled on league games. They have found no evidence to support those allegations, or allegations that Kane made any effort to negatively impact his own games. The investigation was conducted by Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler LLP, in conjunction with NHL Security. Earlier this offseason, allegations were made on social media by Kane’s estranged wife, which triggered the investigation.

The report states:

The investigation uncovered no evidence to corroborate Ms. Kane’s accusations that Mr. Kane bet or otherwise participated in gambling on NHL games, and no evidence to corroborate the allegations that Mr. Kane ‘threw’ games or did not put forward his best effort to help the Sharks win games. To the contrary, the evidence raises doubts about the veracity of the allegations.

While Mr. Kane denied the accusations, our findings are not based on these denials but instead on other evidence uncovered during the investigation.

This investigation reviewed social media, public data, court filings from Kane’s bankruptcy and divorce proceedings, sports betting data and analysis, while also interviewing members of the Sharks organization and Kane himself. His wife refused to participate in the investigation.

While he has been cleared of the gambling allegations, the release indicates that a separate investigation into Kane is ongoing:

Additional unrelated allegations, however, involving potential wrongdoing by Mr. Kane have been brought to our attention. These allegations are being thoroughly investigated and the National Hockey League will have no further comment regarding their substance pending completion of that process.

A.J. Perez of Front Office Sports reported that Kane’s wife filed a domestic violence restraining order application yesterday as part of her divorce case that alleges sexual assault and multiple instances of domestic battery. Kane’s attorney made it clear that the Sharks forward denies all of those allegations. It is not clear if these are the allegations that the NHL is investigating, or what kind of timeline this separate investigation will be on.

Wilson: Sharks Have Had Several Conversations Regarding A Tomas Hertl Extension

September 25, 2021 at 3:46 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose 2 Comments

While Sharks center Tomas Hertl is a highly-speculated candidate to be traded this season, San Jose GM Doug Wilson has other plans. Speaking with reporters including Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now, Wilson indicated that extension talks are well underway:

However, as Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News points out, the Sharks may not be able to afford to carry another long-term deal on their books with over $48MM tied up in just seven players for 2023-24 and a salary cap that’s not expected to go up much in the next few years. Hertl has said he’s open to the idea of taking a bit less to stay in a winning environment but San Jose will have to quickly turn things around to have a chance at him signing a slightly lower deal.

Latest On Sharks’ Evander Kane, Tomas Hertl

September 18, 2021 at 12:59 pm CDT | by Zach Leach 6 Comments

Between the ongoing investigation into Evander Kane and the trade rumors swirling around Tomas Hertl, it seemed that potentially neither would be back with the San Jose Sharks this season. Add in that Hertl is believed to be one of the Sharks’ core members who was upset with Kane’s presence in the locker room last year and did not want him to return, it certainly did not seem that both would be back in 2021-22. Yet, it is growing increasingly more likely that this in fact will be the case.

Kane tells ESPN’s Linda Cohn that he expects the NHL’s current investigation into allegations that he bet on NHL games, and Sharks games in particular, to go nowhere. Kane states that these allegations were entirely fabricated by his estranged wife during the course of an ugly and public divorce:

Obviously (the accusations are) incredibly false. It’s unfortunate that transpired, and it’s unfortunate that those false allegations were made. I understood the magnitude of them immediately. I know (they’re) not true. I know none of what she was saying was true. I was very confident, comfortable with knowing that I was going to be exonerated and am going to be exonerated of those allegations.

While Kane’s investigation is far from his only off-ice concern – bankruptcy case, gambling addiction, and other unsavory allegations – it is seemingly the only grounds that the NHL would have to suspend him or San Jose would have to terminate his contract. And while the Sharks could explore trading Kane, it would be difficult to move his baggage an an extremely no-trade clause does not help. If Kane is cleared, it seems likely that he will be back with the Sharks this season.

Unless that fact itself is the final straw for Hertl, he too seems to be heading back to San Jose to begin the season. Speaking to NHL.com’s Tracey Myers, Hertl stated that he not only expects to attend training camp and open the year with the Sharks, but he is open to extension talks as well. Of course, it seems more likely than not that Hertl heads elsewhere as a free agent next summer, if not via trade sooner, but he will not be requesting a trade out of San Jose; quite the contrary, in fact. Hertl is looking to take on more of a leadership role with the Sharks this season to fill the gap of departed veterans like Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau, and Joe Pavelski. Hertl clearly cares about locker room chemistry and still seems to be thinking only of the present in San Jose and not his future. Will he remain as focused if the locker room he is trying to lead includes Kane though? That could be the big question for the Sharks early this season: can the two co-exist and, if not, which one is moved first?

Vladislav Kotkov Signs In KHL

September 16, 2021 at 1:45 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose 7 Comments

September 16: After seeing his contract terminated, Kotkov is headed back to the KHL as expected. The young forward has signed a two-year deal with CSKA Moscow of the KHL. An unrestricted free agent, if he ever wants to return to North America he will not be limited to the Sharks.

September 11: The Sharks are parting ways with one of their prospects as Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now reports (Twitter link) that they have placed winger Vladislav Kotkov on unconditional waivers for the purposes of contract termination.

The 21-year-old went undrafted in 2018 but did well enough as an invite to San Jose’s development camp to earn an entry-level deal just two weeks after the draft. He spent last season playing his final year in the QMJHL, notching nine goals and ten assists in 16 games with Saint John while chipping in with four assists in five playoff contests. Kotkov also got into one AHL playoff game with the Barracuda.

With two years remaining on his contract, this news is a little surprising as Kotkov is still young enough to be considered a viable NHL prospect and with just two career AHL contests under his belt, it’s not as if he has played enough for San Jose to give up on him. Speculatively, there may be an offer waiting for him back home and if San Jose, who is fairly tight to the 50-contract limit once expected slides are factored in, didn’t want to loan him to play overseas where he’d still count against the limit, then this course of action makes sense. If Kotkov passes through unclaimed, the Sharks will be able to terminate his contract on Sunday.

San Jose Sharks Sign Noah Gregor

September 13, 2021 at 4:00 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee 14 Comments

4:00pm: The Sharks have officially announced the deal, with GM Doug Wilson releasing a short statement:

Noah showed last season that he has the tools to be an effective player at the NHL level by utilizing his speed. We feel that he will elevate the competition among our forward group for a roster spot this season.

1:38pm: The San Jose Sharks have signed their final restricted free agent, inking Noah Gregor to a one-year, two-way contract according to Jason Gregor of TSN (his uncle). CapFriendly reports that the deal will carry an NHL salary of $750K, an AHL salary of $150K and a $200K minor league guarantee.

Gregor, 23, played in 30 games for the Sharks last season but still wasn’t able to contribute much offensively, recording just six points. The 2016 fourth-round pick has some upside in that department, but will be in a battle with many other forwards at training camp just to get a spot on the roster. The fact that Gregor is still waiver-exempt likely hurts him in that battle, as he’ll be able to be sent to the minor leagues without risk.

Still, there will certainly be a battle at training camp between Gregor and other signings like Nicholas Merkley or Lane Pederson, who are both eligible for waivers but could likely clear at the end of camp if necessary. How things shake out in San Jose is entirely unclear, especially with the speculation surrounding the futures of Evander Kane and Tomas Hertl.

One thing is certain and that’s the solid minor league salary that Gregor secured. He’ll be paid handsomely even if he’s not able to secure an NHL spot.

Salary Cap Deep Dive: San Jose Sharks

September 12, 2021 at 7:55 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose 1 Comment

Navigating the salary cap is one of the more important tasks for any GM. Teams that can avoid total cap chaos by walking the tightrope of inking players to deals that match their value (or compensate for future value without breaking the bank) remain successful. Those that don’t see struggles and front office changes.

PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation heading into the 2021-22 season. This will focus more on players who are regulars on the roster versus those who may find themselves shuttling between the AHL and NHL. All cap figures are courtesy of CapFriendly.

San Jose Sharks

Current Cap Hit: $78,138,334 (under the $81.5MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

D Mario Ferraro ($925K in 2021-22)
D Nikolai Knyzhov ($797K in 2021-22)
F John Leonard ($925K in 2021-22)

Leonard managed to hold down a regular spot in the lineup in his rookie season, albeit in a limited role. Barring a jump forward offensively, he’s unlikely to land much more than his current price tag on his second contract which would almost certainly be a short-term one.

Ferraro’s sophomore season didn’t see him upping his production all that much but his role certainly changed. Instead of being on the third pairing in sheltered minutes, the 22-year-old was a regular on the top pairing, playing in all situations. There’s little reason to think that will change this coming season and while limited production will limit his earnings upside, Ferraro could triple his current AAV on a bridge deal. Knyzhov had the role that Ferraro had in his rookie season, seeing some sheltered minutes on the third pairing but played in every game. Even if he stays in that role in 2021-22, he’ll be able to pass the $1MM mark on his second contract.

One Year Remaining, Non-Entry-Level

F Alexander Barabanov ($1MM, UFA)
F Andrew Cogliano ($1MM, UFA)
F Jonathan Dahlen ($750K, RFA)
D Dylan Gambrell ($1.1MM, RFA)
F Tomas Hertl ($5.625MM, UFA)
D Nicolas Meloche ($750K, RFA)
F Nick Merkley ($750K, RFA)

Hertl’s name has been in trade speculation over the last couple of weeks following some comments earlier this month that suggested he may not be with the Sharks beyond the upcoming season. He has become their top-producing center, successfully making the transition from playing the wing at the start of his career. In doing so, his market value has increased considerably. While he may not be able to market himself as a true number one center, quality middlemen are always in high demand and low supply on the open market. Accordingly, a $2MM jump in AAV seems realistic and if it’s not coming from the Sharks, will whoever acquires him closer to the trade deadline hand him an extension as part of the swap?

Gambrell had a big jump in playing time last season but the production was still middling. He’s serviceable in a limited role and can kill penalties but that’s not a spot where they can afford to pay much more than what they’re currently paying and his arbitration eligibility could work against him. Cogliano is a capable placeholding veteran that could be a trade candidate if they’re out of contention at the trade deadline. He’ll be subject to the 35-plus designation next year so he’ll probably be going year-to-year from here on out. Barabanov did well in a very limited stretch after coming over from Toronto and should get a shot at a bigger role. A good showing could have him in line for a considerable raise but if that doesn’t happen, he’ll be a candidate to go back to the KHL. Dahlen managed to land a one-way deal which is impressive for someone who played in Sweden’s second division last season. He’ll get a shot at earning a regular spot in camp and if that doesn’t happen, his time in North America could be short-lived. Merkley came over in an offseason trade from New Jersey and will push for a spot on the fourth line; that roster spot will likely continue to be filled by someone making the minimum or close to it moving forward.

Meloche split last season between the Sharks and the taxi squad and at this point, they’re likely to carry a seventh defender that can clear waivers and go back and forth when needed. He’ll battle Jacob Middleton ($725K) for that role unless someone else is brought in between now and then.

Two Years Remaining

F Rudolfs Balcers ($1.55MM, RFA)
F Nick Bonino ($2.05MM, UFA)
D Adin Hill ($2.175MM, UFA)
F Timo Meier ($6MM, RFA)
F Matt Nieto ($850K, UFA)
F Lane Pederson ($750K, RFA)
G James Reimer ($2.25MM, UFA)

Meier hasn’t been able to get back to the per-game production he had before signing this contract, one that carries the poison pill of a $10MM qualifying offer at its expiry. It’d be hard to justify paying him that much while that qualifier also hurts his trade value unless an early extension can be worked out in 2022-23. Bonino came over in free agency, signing a deal that was below our projection for him. As far as third centers go, he’s a decent one on a below-market contract. Balcers has been one of the better recent waiver claims around the league and is in a spot where he can play a regular middle-six role. As long as he stays there, they’ll get a good return on this deal. Nieto and Pederson will be cheap depth players and will be retained around that price point or replaced by someone else making that money.

Hill hasn’t had much of an NHL opportunity but he’ll get one now as he goes from being Arizona’s backup to the starter with the Sharks. We’ve seen the type of money even top backups get let alone starters; both are price points well beyond what he’s making now so the opportunity for a big jump in salary will soon be there. Reimer returns for his second stint with the Sharks and after effectively being relegated to third-string duty in Carolina by the end of the year, he still landed a decent contract. He’ll be 35 for next trip to free agency and likely will have to go year-to-year at that point.

Three Years Remaining

F Kevin Labanc ($4.725MM, UFA)
D Radim Simek ($2.25MM, UFA)

Labanc’s contract was a pricey one for the year he was coming off of but it was also a reward for taking a very team-friendly deal the year before. Unfortunately for him and the Sharks, last season wasn’t much of an improvement. If he gets even close to his 2018-19 numbers, they will get a reasonable return on his deal but right now, this one is a bit of an overpayment.

Simek’s deal also falls under that category. He was their sixth defender some nights and that type of term and money for someone in that role is not good value.

Four Or More Years Remaining

D Brent Burns ($8MM through 2024-25)
F Logan Couture ($8MM through 2026-27)
F Evander Kane ($7MM through 2024-25)
D Erik Karlsson ($11.5MM through 2026-27)
D Marc-Edouard Vlasic ($7MM through 2025-26)

Couture’s per-game numbers have dipped the past two years, moving him from production worthy of a spot on the front line to more of second-line output instead. In the process, his contract went from a market-value one to an overpayment. At his age, a rebound to that type of production can’t simply be expected which means they may not be getting a great return on this deal moving forward. In terms of on-ice production, Kane actually provided good value for the Sharks last season. Overall, it’s a bit of a high price tag but power forwards get big money. Of course, there is way more to Kane than simply the on-ice element and the off-ice stuff simply craters his value. Instead of being the one big contract that actually gives the Sharks somewhat of a palatable return, it’s another anchor for them as things currently stand.

Then there are the defensemen. Karlsson hasn’t come close to living up to his deal and his production has tapered off which is alarming for someone whose offensive game is what got him that record-setting contract in the first place. Burns is still an impact defender but not a true number one anymore. He’s also 36 with four more years left on his contract. The drop is coming and when it does, it will hurt. The drop has already come for Vlasic who is more of a limited role player but is going to be paid number two money for the next half-decade.

Buyouts

G Martin Jones ($1.917MM in 21-22, $2.417MM in 22-23, $2.917MM in 23-24, $1.667MM from 24-25 through 26-27)

Retained Salary Transactions

None

Still To Sign

F Noah Gregor – Gregor has played in 58 career NHL games, notching just 11 points. His contract shouldn’t cost much more than the minimum and at this point, the AHL salary is likely what’s still being discussed.

Best Value: Bonino
Worst Value: Karlsson

Looking Ahead

For the upcoming season, things aren’t too bad. There is some flexibility to work with for in-season movement which has them in better shape than a lot of teams. Meier’s deal is an upcoming pressure point but that’s more likely to be dealt with next season than this one.

Unfortunately for the Sharks, they have over $43MM tied up in the five players signed beyond the next three seasons plus Jones’ buyout. They’re not getting good value on any of those contracts and the cap is only going to go up gradually. Basically half of their cap space – likely a bit more by the time the Upper Limit is set for a few years from now – is in negative-value contracts. It’s hard to build a contender with maybe a little over $40MM. That was doable when the cap came in in 2005-06 – it won’t be two decades later but that’s the path they’re heading towards.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

A Suggested Framework For A Tomas Hertl Trade

September 11, 2021 at 5:00 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose 8 Comments

Tomas Hertl’s comments earlier this month which expressed some uncertainty about his long-term future with the team have thrust him into trade speculation. For the time being, it seems likely he’ll start the season and he and the Sharks will re-assess things from there. However, if San Jose opted to trade him, Kevin Kurz of The Athletic examined (subscription link) what the framework of a potential deal might look like. He suggests that San Jose’s preference likely wouldn’t just be draft picks but that adding a top prospect that’s a little closer to being NHL-ready – one that fits the timeline of their recent top selections – would likely be a goal for GM Doug Wilson. Hertl carries a $5.625MM AAV for this coming season and stands to earn considerably more on his next contract and if they opt to set that high of a price point whenever the decision is made to move on, an extension may need to be part of the trade in order to justify the higher acquisition cost for the other team.

Latest On Evander Kane Investigation

September 8, 2021 at 7:59 pm CDT | by Zach Leach 24 Comments

Even in the midst of a career year in terms of per-game scoring, Evander Kane’s 2020-21 campaign was dominated by off-ice issues. A bankruptcy filing and its ongoing proceeding, whispers of locker room discord, a divorce playing out in the public eye, and finally allegations that he bet on hockey has made Kane the most infamous name in the NHL right now. And unfortunately all of that noise may not be going away this season. A.J. Perez of Front Office Sports reports that the NHL’s investigation into Kane has stalled and a decision may not be possible before the San Jose Sharks open training camp, if Kane was going to be invited anyhow.

Kane’s estranged wife, who initially made the allegations that her husband had gambled on his own games, has been uncooperative with the NHL’s outside investigators. Anna Kane has been unavailable for interview, making it impossible for the investigation that centers around her claims to continue. The NHL will not wait around forever, but need to do their due diligence when it comes to something as serious as a player betting on his own contests and impacting the integrity of the game. While Kane had previously stated that these allegations were not true and a ploy by his wife to ruin his career – a claim that gains validity the longer she avoids the investigation – the NHL will be hesitant to take Kane at his word without any corroborating evidence.

Perez does note that the NHL analyzed betting trends for Sharks games this past season and found no abnormalities. While this does not eliminate the possibility that Kane was betting on his games, or even on other NHL action, it could be all that the league can lean on if not other information has been discovered and Kane’s wife will not comply with the investigation.

Meanwhile, the Sharks have to decide how to deal with the situation, both if Kane is still under investigation when training camp begins or, even more intriguing, if he has been cleared. If the NHL rules that Kane did not bet on hockey, it doesn’t totally wipe the slate clean. He is still in the midst of bankruptcy proceedings related to gambling debts and has had other ugly allegations made against him by his wife (and vice-versa). All of this has certainly contributed to the numerous reports that there are many in the Sharks locker room who are unhappy with Kane’s presence and the organization’s continued support of the polarizing player. While none of his other off-ice issues beyond the NHL’s investigation will keep him from playing, there is serious question as to whether it will be in San Jose. Even at the top of his game, Kane likely lacks much if any value on the trade market right now, but the Sharks may need to do whatever they can to move on. A stalled investigation will make it near impossible to do that though.

San Jose Sharks To Hire John MacLean

September 7, 2021 at 5:20 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee 6 Comments

5:20pm: The Sharks have officially announced the hiring of MacLean, noting that his primary responsibilities will be the team’s forwards and powerplay. Boughner released a statement explaining why MacLean was hired:

John’s experience speaks for itself, and he checks a lot of the boxes we were hoping to fill with this role. He has won the Stanley Cup as a player and a coach and knows how to relate to today’s player. In doing our diligence for this role, I spoke with many people, and everyone had great things to say about John as both a coach and a person. I’m excited to add him to our staff and look forward to having a great training camp as we prepare to start our season.

3:47pm: After associate coach Rocky Thompson announced last week that he would not be able to fulfill his duties this season for the San Jose Sharks due to the new COVID-19 vaccination protocols, the team has brought in a replacement. As reported by Craig Morgan of AZ Coyotes Insider and confirmed by Kevin Kurz of The Athletic, the Sharks will be adding John MacLean to the coaching staff for the 2021-22 season.

MacLean, 56, spent the last three seasons with the Coyotes staff and has plenty of experience at the NHL level. A veteran of nearly 1,300 games as a player, MacLean spent most of his career with the New Jersey Devils, setting highs of 45 goals and 87 points.

He even spent a short period of time with the Sharks as a player, scoring 13 goals and 32 points in 51 games during the 1997-98 season. He served as an interim head coach with the Devils in 2010-11 and has experience on the Carolina Hurricanes bench as well.

MacLean will join John Madden–a former Devils great himself–on Bob Boughner’s staff this season.

Marcus Sorensen Signs In Sweden

September 5, 2021 at 12:26 pm CDT | by Josh Erickson 1 Comment

Former San Jose Sharks forward Marcus Sorensen has chosen to continue his hockey career overseas. Sorensen has signed a four-year contract with Djurgardens IF in the SHL, per Swedish outlet Telgenytt, meaning that Sorensen likely won’t be returning to the NHL anytime soon.

Sorensen returns to his native Sweden after a five-year NHL career which saw him tally 31 goals and 64 points in 226 games, all in a San Jose Sharks uniform. Originally drafted by the Ottawa Senators in 2010, the now 29-year-old forward never signed with Ottawa and instead signed his entry-level deal with San Jose on May 13, 2016. He played in the NHL right away as a 24-year-old at the time, scoring four points in 19 games. Sorensen continued to progress within the Sharks system, including a career-best 17 goals and 30 points in 80 games in 2018-19. Never more than a third-line depth option for San Jose, though, Sorensen never topped those numbers.

A pending unrestricted free agent this year, Sorensen put up arguably the worst performance of his NHL career. It’s not that hard to blame him given the state of the team this season, but only one goal and five points in 29 games was a far cry from the production he’d put up in the past. He’ll look to rediscover his game overseas while returning home to his native Sweden. Considering the fact that he’ll be 33 years old at the expiry of the deal, Sorensen may have played his last NHL game.

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