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Sharks Still Uncertain Of How To Handle Impending Evander Kane Return

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3:25 pm: The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz confirms that Kane was at the Sharks’ practice facility yesterday, but was not present at the same time as the rest of the team. It’s an interesting development, but Kurz still notes that the “next step for him remains unclear.”

10:36 am: Before the month of November is over, Evander Kane will be an active NHL player once more. The controversial star is set to return from a 21-game suspension in nine days, as the San Jose Sharks play game No. 22 on November 30. But will Kane actually be back with the team and in the lineup at that time?

The Sharks have had nearly two months to ponder this question, but seem no closer to making a decision on Kane’s future. Curtis Pashelka of The San Jose Mercury News caught up with Sharks head coach Bob Boughner recently and received the same non-answer that he and GM Doug Wilson have continued to provide throughout the saga: “I don’t have any information… There are decisions that need to be made.”

Kane has been the center of attention in San Jose for over a year now, and surprisingly little of it is due to the actual cause of his suspension. Dating back to last year, Kane has filed for bankruptcy, been sued by his creditors, used the threat of a potential contract termination by the Sharks as a tool in his bankruptcy proceedings, faced allegations of betting on hockey and a full NHL investigation, as well as other unsavory allegations from his estranged wife, and battled rumors that many of his teammates were unhappy having him in the locker room. Yet, it was his use of a fake Coronavirus vaccination card to circumvent the NHL COVID Protocol that finally led to discipline.

Amidst all of the drama of the last year, Kane was also the Sharks leading scorer and set a personal career high in per-game production. After getting off to a solid 7-4-1 start without Kane this season, San Jose has lost four of their past five games as their offense has dried up. There is no question that the team could use Kane’s scoring ability, not to mention his physicality. The fact of the matter is that they also still owe him a considerable amount of money to provide this on-ice value for three more seasons beyond this year as well. The question that Wilson and Boughner must answer then is whether the off-ice concerns outweigh the on-ice benefits and, if so, what to do about it.

If the team believes that they can re-introduce Kane to the team without creating issues amongst both their locker room and their fan base, then the power forward may actually be back in the lineup come November 30. However, if Kane has simply become too polarizing, the Sharks will have to get creative in order to move him. Any potential trade interest, however unlikely, will be nowhere near market value for the talented scorer, but San Jose could jump at the first offer. They could also place Kane on waivers and see if anyone bites. Should Kane go unclaimed, he could be reassigned to the AHL and dealt with in the off-season similar to how the New York Rangers handled Anthony DeAngelo last year. However, as the Sharks and Barracuda share a building, it may not have the same impact. The Sharks could even just pay Kane to stay home, again kicking the can down the road. San Jose is in the unenviable position of both re-tooling and being strapped for cap space, so Wilson and company will do all they can to avoid an expensive buyout, which would be the last, worst case scenario option.

Whatever the decision on Kane, it needs to be made soon. The Sharks are on the clock to make a call that – one way or another – will have a substantial impact on their season and quite possibly the future of the organization.

Sharks Recall Noah Gregor And Jeffrey Viel

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  • The Sharks have recalled center Noah Gregor and winger Jeffrey Viel, per the AHL’s transactions log. Gregor played in 30 NHL games with San Jose last season and had five goals but has yet to play with the Sharks this season.  Viel, meanwhile, was recently activated off SOIR and played his first game with the Barracuda last night.  He played in 11 NHL contests in 2020-21 where he had 23 penalty minutes.  Lane Pederson was placed on IR in a corresponding move.

Kevin Labanc Suspended One Game

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The Department of Player Safety has decided to issue a one-game suspension to San Jose Sharks forward Kevin Labanc for his slew foot on St. Louis Blues forward Tyler Bozak last night. As the accompanying video explains:

It is important to note that there are many occasions during the course of a game where players use either their legs or stick and upper body to restrain or impede opponents, or to gain leverage during a puck battle. In the vast majority of these circumstances, these plays can be adequately punished by in-game penalties.

What causes this play to rise to the level of supplemental discipline is the speed the players are traveling, and their proximity to the boards. 

The league notes that Labanc has not been fined or suspended in the past, which would have been taken into account when determining the length of this suspension. So too would an injury to Bozak, but the Blues forward was fortunate to not suffer a serious injury on the play.

Bozak did note how upset he was about the play, calling it “dangerous” and noting that he was lucky to not suffer an injury in that situation. Labanc insisted that he did not purposely deliver the slew foot, telling reporters he was just trying to battle hard.

Kevin Labanc To Have Hearing With Department Of Player Safety

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The Department of Player Safety has some work to do today, as Kevin Labanc of the San Jose Sharks will have a hearing to determine supplementary discipline for his slew foot of Tyler Bozak last night.

Labanc received a two-minute minor for tripping on the play, which happened partway through the first period. Bozak appeared to escape serious injury.

Slew-footing has been a point of note with fans around the league this season, with P.K. Subban at the center of several incidents that resulted in injury. While Subban has only received fines to this point, a hearing suggests that Labanc will receive at least a one-game suspension.

For his part, the Sharks forward told Curtis Pashelka of the Bay Area News Group that it was not intentional and he was “just trying to battle hard.”

Trade Rumors: Kessel, Hertl, Girard

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After months and months of speculation, the constant trade talk surrounding Jack Eichel is finally over after the star Buffalo Sabres center was traded to the Vegas Golden Knights earlier this month. So where does the trade market go from here? Though still early in the season, there is thought to be some trade chatter ongoing between teams who expected different results early on this year, whether that is a surprise contender looking to load up, a struggling preseason favorite in need of a shake-up, or a bottom-dweller looking to move talent as soon as possible to maximize the return. The Hockey News’ Ryan Kennedy and Matt Larkin recently broke down the trade market and believe the top available name could be the product of that latter scenario. The pair feel that Phil Kessel is set to step into Eichel’s shoes, not only as a major name on the block but also as a player that is guaranteed to be traded. The 1-13-1 Arizona Coyotes have all the makings of a last-place team and Kessel is an aging veteran and respected champion on an expiring deal; the fit is poor and should be resolved soon rather than waiting until the deadline whilst Kessel plays meaningless games and risks injury for the ’Yotes. The scoring winger should be attractive to any number of teams and Arizona could take the first impressive futures package offered to them to further their rebuild.

  • Though mentioned by Kennedy and Larkin as a top trade chip, piling on top of plenty of recent speculation, Tomas Hertl may not be as guaranteed to move as people have been led to believe. The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz writes in a recent mailbag that Hertl seems be enjoying this season more than last. A winning record so far certainly helps, but Hertl is also appreciative of his growing role as a team leader amidst a culture turnaround in San Jose. Kurz believes that Hertl has a 50/50 chance of signing an extension with the Sharks, which doesn’t even speak to his likelihood of being traded. If the team continues to win and stays in the playoff picture all season and the possibility of a renewed deal between the two sides remains, Hertl may not move after all. There are some cap management factors working against a deal for both team and player, with the Sharks’ restrictions limiting Hertl’s contract potential and making such a move more risky for San Jose, but if the team is playing well and Hertl is happy, producing, and leading the young locker room, it will be difficult for the Sharks to opt for a trade instead of working toward an extension.
  • Meanwhile, Kennedy and Larkin do not mention Colorado Avalanche defenseman Samuel Girard as top trade bait, but his name has been a fixture on the rumor mill in recent days. According to Mike Chambers of The Denver Post, the Avs made a late run at Eichel and floated Girard as the centerpiece of the deal. Now, even with Eichel off the market, Chambers believes that GM Joe Sakic is still willing to part ways with Girard. Though young and offensively gifted, Girard has some glaring defensive weaknesses that Colorado would rather not deal with given his $5MM cap hit. Girard is still an elite defenseman, but the well-balanced Avs are looking to use that cap space in a different way, if at all possible, by landing another elite forward. With phenom Cale Makar locked up long-term, a number of reliable veterans in support, and other promising young defenders like Bowen Byram and Justin Barron, the team could survive the loss of Girard if it means adding another difference-maker to their top-heavy forward corps. If the Avalanche continue to fall short of expectations this season, it will only serve to fuel a potential shake-up with Girard as the most likely trade victim.

Lane Pederson To Miss A Week Or Two

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  • Sharks winger Lane Pederson is expected to miss a week or two, relays Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News (Twitter link). He was injured on a hit from Winnipeg’s Logan Stanley on Thursday night.  Pederson hasn’t recorded a point in 11 games so far this season while being used primarily on the fourth line.  With San Jose getting seven players back from COVID protocol yesterday – resulting in seven AHL demotions – they’ll at least have enough healthy forwards on the roster to cover for Pederson’s expected absence.

San Jose Sharks Remove Seven Players From COVID Protocol

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As suggested by the team’s AHL assignments this morning, the San Jose Sharks have removed seven players from the COVID protocol. Kevin Labanc, Erik Karlsson, Timo Meier, Jacob Middleton, Matthew Nieto, Radim Simek, and Marc-Edouard Vlasic have all been removed from the protocol and added back to the active roster. Head coach Bob Boughner, head trainer Ray Tufts and equipment manager Mike Aldrich have also all been removed from the protocol.

Sasha Chmelevski, Joel Kellman, Artemi Kniazev, John Leonard, Ryan Merkley, Jaycob Megna, and Nicolas Meloche have all been assigned to the AHL. Nicholas Merkley, who had also been recalled with this group, remains with San Jose for the time being.

It’s obviously a huge moment for the Sharks, as they receive a good portion of their regular lineup back in time for tomorrow’s game against the Colorado Avalanche. The team is sitting at 7-5-1 on the season and is still well within striking range of the division playoff spots. Getting back key options like Labanc, Karlsson and Meier will only help them as they try to chase down the teams ahead of them.

Activating the group from the protocol is also a good sign that the team has this outbreak behind them, or at least contained. The activated players were actually able to skate in recent days, though they would not have been able to join the team in Canada given their recent positive tests. They’ll now be able to join the group in Denver, nearly two weeks after originally entering the protocol.

Sharks’ COVID Protocol Players Ruled Out For Canadian Road Trip

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The San Jose Sharks aren’t getting any reinforcements off the COVID protocol anytime soon. John MacLean, who is filling in as head coach while Bob Boughner recovers, confirmed to reporters including Kevin Kurz of The Athletic today that no one on the protocol will join them for the upcoming road trip through Western Canada. That includes Boughner himself, meaning it continues to be MacLean’s bench for the next few games. Anyone cleared in the meantime is expected to join the team on Friday when they arrive in Colorado for a weekend matchup against the Avalanche.

The team recalled several players from the minor leagues today as they prepare to face Calgary and Winnipeg this week. Those are both teams ahead of the Sharks in the Western Conference standings, with the Flames having only lost a single time in regulation this season. Without the help of Kevin Labanc, Erik Karlsson, Timo Meier, Jacob Middleton, Matthew Nieto, Radim Simek, and Marc-Edouard Vlasic, it will be a tough test for the Pacific Division club. Curtis Pashelka of the Bay Area News Group tweets that everyone but Karlsson and Middleton did appear on the ice at today’s skate, though they are still not allowed to travel to Canada for the trip.

San Jose has been better than many expected early on, with a 6-4-1 record through 11 games despite major COVID-related absences. Quite a bit of that success could be attributed to the outstanding play of James Reimer, who has a .946 save percentage through six appearances. The team will go with Adin Hill tomorrow night, however, who hasn’t been nearly as good through his own six appearances, allowing 17 goals on 149 shots (.886 sv%).

With so many absences, some players have had to carry even more responsibility for the Sharks to stay competitive. Logan Couture played more than 23 minutes on Saturday night, while Mario Ferraro and Brent Burns both eclipsed the 30-minute mark (Ferraro had 31:12!). While that game included a full five-minute overtime before ending in a shootout, it’s been a busy stretch for a player like Burns, who hasn’t seen less than 26 minutes in a game since October 28 and is now averaging 27:08 on the season, the highest of his career.

Sharks Recall Joel Kellman

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  • The Sharks have recalled forward Joel Kellman from the Barracuda, the team announced (Twitter link).  The 27-year-old was up earlier in the week on an emergency recall although he didn’t suit up.  It could be a similar scenario this time around although San Jose still has several players in COVID protocol with no changes being made on that front today.

San Jose Sharks Loan William Eklund To SHL

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The San Jose Sharks gave William Eklund a taste of the NHL, but the young forward will have to wait for his next chance. The Sharks have loaned Eklund back to Djurgardens IF of the SHL. Had Eklund played one more game with the Sharks this season, he would have burned the first year of his entry-level contract. As it stands, the deal will slide forward a year and not expire until 2025. GM Doug Wilson explained the move:

This was one of the toughest decisions we have had to make. William’s tremendous skill and vision have been evident since his participation in our rookie tournament in September. In his nine NHL games as a teenager, he has shown that he is going to be a special player in this league but ultimately, we feel it is in the best interest of his long-term development to return to Sweden and continue to work on becoming the dominant player we know he can be.

Eklund, 18, is technically eligible to be assigned to the AHL as well but holds a European Assignment Clause in his contract that could force his way back to Europe if the Sharks attempted that. Instead, the seventh-overall pick will continue his development in Sweden where he had 23 points in 40 games for Djurgadens last season. This is also huge news for his country’s World Junior team, who will presumably have the reigning SHL Rookie of the Year/Swedish Junior Hockey Player of the Year in the lineup when the tournament begins in December.

The Sharks were happy to hand regular minutes to Eklund, who averaged over 14 minutes of ice time in those first nine games. He managed four assists in that time but failed to score his first NHL goal, despite some dangerous opportunities. The young forward certainly won’t have a problem registering that goal when he finally returns, as his offensive upside is clearly tremendous. A year of development playing in a professional league in Sweden should only help his development, and give the Sharks a more polished product to insert into the lineup next season should they choose to do so.

For San Jose, the key decision here is his contract status. It appears as though they may be more competitive this year, but challenging for the Stanley Cup will be difficult. If Eklund wasn’t going to play a key role all year, wasting a year of his entry-level deal would be a mistake in a cap-constrained league in which inexpensive deals are king. If he returns full-time next season at an even higher level, the team will be able to squeeze more surplus value out of a cap hit that will still be lower than $1MM.

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