“It’s really tough losing. It’s almost better not to make the playoffs than lose when you're in them. Obviously that’s not the case but that’s how you feel in the moment.… - @evanderkane_9 pic.twitter.com/E8BhlNrD61
— San Jose Sharks (@SanJoseSharks) May 8, 2018
The San Jose Sharks cleaned out their lockers on Tuesday.
After losing 3-0 in the knockout game against the Vegas Golden Knights on Sunday night, the Sharks players, coaches and managers had to wait the extra day to pack up their belongings for the summer because the iconic rock band U2 played live in concert at the Shark Tank on Monday night.
You could say that Tuesday was a not so beautiful day for Evander Kane and his San Jose Sharks teammates.
Disappointed and still frustrated with losing to Vages in the second round, the Sharks have had time to reflect on their poor Game 6 performance on home ice.
To say nothing of the Sharks top scoring line getting taken advantage of by 33-year-old Marc Andre Fleury in the second round of the Western Conference playoffs. Fleury showed the Sharks why he earned three Stanley Cup rings in ten seasons with the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Sharks goalie Martin Jones was great in the 2018 playoffs. He was excellent against the Golden Knights. However, "The Flower" was a cut above Jones.
Fleury has allowed just 17 goals against on the 344 shot attempts he has faced in 10 playoff games this spring. Fleury is 8-2 with a 1.53 GAA and .951 SV%. Fleury currently leads all NHL goalies in GAA, shot attempts faced, and save percentage in the 2018 Stanley Cup playoffs. The Sharks had some beautiful, Grade-A scoring chances in Game 6 that they simply could not bury them when it mattered most.
On Tuesday, pending unrestricted free agent Evander Kane spoke briefly about the disappointment of losing in the second round of the playoffs. Prior to this spring, Kane had never played in a Stanley Cup playoff game during his ten-year NHL career.
The Sharks have made the playoffs 13 of the past 14 seasons. Unlike other NHL franchises where Kane has played (Atlanta, Winnipeg, Buffalo) there is an organization-wide expectation to not only qualify for the Stanley Cup playoffs, but to go deep in the playoffs every season.
Two seasons ago, the Sharks represented the Western Conference in the Stanley Cup Finals. The Joe Thornton-Patrick Marleau led Sharks lost in the Cup Finals to Sid, Geno, Phil, and the Penguins.
Last season, the Sharks were knocked out in six games and made a disappointing first round exit.
This time around, losing in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs to Vegas was a real kick in the shins for Kane and his Sharks teammates to have to deal with.
Marleau signed with Toronto as a UFA last July. Thornton suffered two brutal knee injuries in January that sidelined him indefinitely for the final four months of the season. Thornton tore the ACL and MCL in his right knee in January after suffering tears to his ACL and MCL in his left knee last season.
In 2017-18, the Sharks acquitted themselves well in the absence of two sequoias in Thornton and Marleau. They learned to win games by relying on scoring from all four lines and all six defensemen.
Trading for Kane on February 26 gave the Sharks a player that they desperately were missing. Kane added immediate speed, physicality, aggression, scoring and play making. Kane infused needed swagger and confidence into the San Jose lineup. Kane walked it and talked it. Kane’s San Jose experience was a perfect role for him because he didn’t have to be the bell cow nor the leader of the pack. Kane was given a role to play. In the end, Kane played it to a tee. He was respectful, responsible and highly offensive. Kane scored 9 goals and 5 assists in 17 games played with the Sharks following the trade deadline deal that sent him to San Jose for two conditional draft choices and prospect forward Danny O’Regan. Kane admitted on Tuesday he suffered a shoulder separation against Vegas on March 31, well before the playoffs began. Kane also suffered a medial collateral ligament strain in early April that would cause him to sit out a few games. Through it all, Kane never complained about his injuries. He played through two brutal injuries and showed his new teammates he was a gamer and an unselfish player.
On Tuesday, Kane said he spoke with his coaches on locker clean out day and told them “it’s really tough losing. It’s almost better not to make the playoffs then to lose in them. Obviously, that’s not the case but it’s how you feel in the moment. It (losing in playoffs) makes you more hungry to get back there and to get even further. For me, we won in the first round and lost in the second round. I want to keep building on that.…
The Sharks compiled an 16-9-1 record with Kane in heir lineup after the February 26 NHL trade deadline.
Kane wasn’t in the mood to talk about his pending unrestricted free agent status. His first priority is to get himself health as soon as possible so that he can get back into the gym to begin preparing his body for another long regular season and another long playoff run. “The next step for me is to take some time to relax. Get away from the rink a little bit. Take some time to debrief and just enjoy life…
Will Kane re-sign with the Sharks on July 1? Or, will he roll the bones and opt to sign a lucrative, long-term contract with his hometown Vancouver Canucks, Anaheim Ducks, Calgary Flames, or the awe-inspiring Vegas Golden Knights?
Kane’s lips are sealed.
Sharks GM Doug Wilson said Tuesday morning that he intends to get a meeting scheduled with Kane and his agents at Newport Sports to discuss the future of the pending unrestricted free agent with the Sharks.
“Yeah. I’m not sure what’s going to take place. Nothing has been scheduled. Nothing has been really talked about yet. I’ll talk to my agents and map out a plan for the off season and go from there…
Kane said that his experiences in San Jose have been top notch. The Sharks experience was good for Kane. He came to play every day. He was a good teammate. He was a leader on the ice. All in all, the Sharks liked what they saw of Kane and vice versa.
“Yeah. Obviously, I started the year in Buffalo (where) I individually had some good success. Getting traded here was great to be a part of a winning environment again. Getting to know this group of guys and the coaching staff and organization, as a whole, definitely helps, and, definitely gives me a great idea about San Jose. Getting to know the city and the fans, it’s been real, real positive. I’ve really enjoyed my time. Like I said: nothing is set in stone, nothing has been talked about and we will take it from there….
Suffice to say, Kane will have to be blown away by an offer or offers he cannot refuse by other NHL suitors on July 1.
Kane sounds to me like a man who very much plans on using every ounce of his leverage in his march to unrestricted free agency. He likes the Sharks. The feeling is mutual. However, there are upwards of ten NHL teams interested in signing Kane to a multi-year, lucrative contract ($7M AAV/$49M).
“I don’t know because this is the first that time I’ve ever had that opportunity (unrestricted free agency). So, I’m just learning like everyone else does when they go through it for the first time. Like I said, I’m going to take some time to maybe not think about it and figure out what those priorities are and really just go from there. We have a month and a half until July 1 so I’m sure there will be a lot of conversations."
Kane is a smart man. He and his agents speak often. He’s not about to tip his hand and show his cards during the heat of the moment.
“I think at the end of the day, from what I’ve been told, and common-sense kind of tells you that there are three priorities you look for as a player:
Money. Chance to win and lifestyle.
Those are the three priorities. It really just depends where you rank them.
How does Kane rank the three priorities?
“Well, hold on. Do you guys have your note pads and I can tell you in exact detail…, Kane said laughingly.
Everybody likes them all, Evander.
How about you?
“You want all three. You know you gotta get greedy…. Thanks, Sharks.com
If Kane re-signs with the Sharks, Doug Wilson's 2019 first round draft choice will belong to Jason Botterill and the to the Buffalo Sabres. should Kane sign elsewhere, say Vancouver, Las Vegas or Philadelphia, the San Jose 2019 first round draft choice will down grade to a 2019 second round pick.
Wilson is eager to get to the negotiating table with Kane and his agents.
“He’s difference maker,… Wilson said Tuesday morning.
When no other NHL GM was willing to commit to Evander Kane, Wilson believed in the Vancouver native. Wilson did his diligence before trading for Kane. He did his homewrk. Wilson spoke with his scouts and other managers around the NHL. Wilson wasn't scraed off by the hints, allegations and this left unsaid about Kane.
“He had a clean slate. He wants to be a great player, we did our research, he came in here and he’s judged by his actions and his experiences here. He played through a couple of injuries. I think he fit in very well with this group, not only as a player but as a person.…
Logan Couture didn't sugar-coat his feelings for Evander Kane.
“We (the Sharks players) want him back. He’s fit in well,… Couture said Tuesday. “You don’t listen to what people said about him before. Just getting to know him over these past few months, he’s a great teammate, he cares, he wants to win. He was fun to play with.…
The Sharks can certainly afford to re-sign Evander Kane to a lucrative, long-term contract.
Wilson will have approximately $20 million in salary cap space available this summer.
With the NHL salary cap ceiling increasing to $81 million, Doug Wilson can make a serious offer to Kane. Logan Couture ($6M AAV) and Joe Pavelski (46M AAV) each have one season remaining on their current contracts and will be eligible for new contract extensions on July 1. Wilson will likely re-up Joe Thornton (UFA, looking for 1 year contract). Thornton will turn 39 on July 2. Tomas Hertl (RFA, looking for multi-year deal), Chris Tierney (RFA, looking for multi-year deal), and Dylan DeMelo(RFA, looking for multi-year deal).
Don't be surprised when Wilson gets aggressive in his pursuit of soon-to-be unrestricted free agent John Tavares.
Listen to Wilson breakdown his team's performance in 2017-18. Listen closely to Wilson's assessment of Evander Kane and his high level of satisfaction with the young Sharks who played integral roles in his team's success during the regular season and playoffs.