With NHL trade season heating up, the Dallas Stars are one of the teams linked to polarizing Canucks forward Evander Kane.
Multiple reports suggest the Stars and Colorado Avalanche have both inquired about trading for Kane ahead of the March 6 deadline.
Calling about a player does not mean a trade is imminent — but it does indicate the Stars have some interest.
While Kane’s physical style of play could fill a need in Dallas’ top six, his controversial past calls into question whether he’d be a good fit within the Stars’ locker room.
Sports Roundup
Here is a look at what Dallas may see in Kane — or why he may not be the right fit for the Stars.
Why the Stars may be interested in Evander Kane
Since Glen Gulutzan was hired, the Stars coach has stated a commitment to making Dallas more physical. However, the Stars still rank 25th in the league in hits given and lead the NHL in hits taken this season.
Kane is known as a physical presence, ranking third on the Canucks in hits given this season with 88. That number would lead the Stars.
The Stars are also seeking a top-six left winger, one of the positions in which they lack the most depth behind Jason Robertson. In his last full NHL season in Edmonton, Kane scored 24 goals. The Stars lost three 20-goal scorers last offseason in Mason Marchment, Evgenii Dadonov and Mikael Granlund and could use someone to fill that void.
Kane also has a history with Gulutzan, as the two spent four seasons together in Edmonton. Gulutzan has shown loyalty to his players from his time with the Oilers, including Adam Erne, whom Dallas signed to a contract out of a professional tryout in training camp.
Some reports suggest Vancouver would also be willing to retain part of Kane’s $5.125 million salary and only ask for a midround pick in return. That’s a strategy some teams looking to trade a player will offer — retaining half of the player’s expiring contract on their own books and leaving his new team responsible for just half — to get a higher return or deal a player they are hoping to part ways with. If Vancouver retained half of Kane’s salary, Dallas would only be on the hook for $2.56 million this season — a relatively low cost for a rental.
Why Evander Kane may not be the right fit
Stars general manager Jim Nill is known for prioritizing a player’s character when making a trade, and Kane has a lengthy history of off-ice controversies throughout his NHL career.
While playing for the Sabres in 2016, Kane was sued by a 21-year-old woman who accused him of assaulting her in a hotel in Buffalo, N.Y. He later pleaded not guilty to one count of criminal trespassing and four counts of noncriminal harassment after a confrontation at a Buffalo bar. The case was later adjourned and dismissed on the grounds that he maintained good behavior.
In 2019 while playing for the Sharks, Kane was sued by The Cosmopolitan casino in Las Vegas after he walked out on a half-million-dollar gambling debt while San Jose was in Vegas for a playoff series. Two years after that, Kane filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy after accumulating $26.8 million in debt.
In the summer of 2021, Kane’s estranged wife, Anna Kane, made a series of posts on Instagram alleging Kane bet on his own NHL games, prompting a league investigation. The NHL found no evidence of the allegations. That same year, his wife filed a domestic violence restraining order application as part of her divorce case, which included sexual assault and several domestic battery allegations.
Also in 2021, Kane was suspended 21 games for submitting a fake COVID-19 vaccine card.
Beyond the off-ice issues, Kane has been among the Canucks players having a down year with just nine goals in 52 games. Calgary’s Blake Coleman — a Plano native whom Dallas has been linked to as well — could be a more attractive candidate to fill the same need.
Additionally, without salary retention, the Stars would only have enough cap space to add Kane to the roster if they ruled Tyler Seguin’s injury season-ending, or if they traded another player to clear cap room.
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