Playing in the Thrashers' last game of the season on April 10, Evander was challenged to a fight by Pittsburgh Penguins forward Matt Cooke. He landed two punches to Cooke's jaw, knocking him unconscious on the ice for several minutes. Evander finished his NHL rookie campaign with 14 goals and 26 points in 66 games, ranked 12th among first-year point-scorers.
Evander suffered several minor injuries during his second NHL season in —11 season. During a game against the Colorado Avalanche on November 30, , he suffered a left knee injury after he was struck by a shot from teammate Tobias Enstrom , he missed two games. The following month, Evander missed one game due to an arm injury, sustained during a game against the Pittsburgh Penguins on December 7th.
In January of , Evander missed an additional six games due to a lower-body injury. Kept from the lineup for a total nine games, he increased his points total to 43 with 19 goals and 24 assists. He ranked fifth in team point-scoring, third among forward behind captain Andrew Ladd and Bryan Little.
During the off-season, the Thrashers franchise was bought and relocated by True North Sports and Entertainment, becoming the Winnipeg Jets.
Kane expressed excitement at the move and being able to play in a Canadian hockey market with a passionate fanbase. Although the previous incarnation of the Jets represented a separate franchise the team became the Phoenix Coyotes in , the team had retired the number 9 jersey in honour of Bobby Hull. In preparation of the move to Winnipeg, Evander made it apparent to the media that he would personally ask for Hull's permission to continue wearing the number he had worn as a Thrasher.
Evander was enjoying a successful first season as a Jet, leading his team in scoring with 18 goals and 31 points by mid-January of During that month, however, he was sidelined with a concussion that was reported on January 21, Following a seven-game absence, Evander returned to the lineup early the next month. He then told reporters that he had been playing through concussion-like symptoms for a month since receiving a hit during a game against the New York Islanders on December 20, Later in the season, Evander recorded a four-point game two goals and two assists in a 7—0 win against the Florida Panthers on March 1, However after twelve games with the club, in which he recorded one goal, he was released by Dynamo.
The club's athletic director suggested that Evander "could not adapt to hockey in the KHL," but also said that both sides mutually agreed to end the contract. Coming off his rookie season of major junior, Evander competed in the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament, capturing gold with Canada's under team.
He totalled four points in four games, including an assist in the 6—3 gold medal game win against Russia. Although he was not initially named to the final roster, a knee injury to Dana Tyrell in tournament exhibition play made a roster spot available and Evander was chosen as his replacement. As the youngest player on the team, Evander contributed six points in six games, helping Canada to a fifth straight gold medal with a 5—1 victory over Sweden in the final.
General manager Mark Messier made a specific effort to assemble a young team. As a result, Evander was one of five teenagers on the roster. He finished the tournament with two goals and two assists in seven games. His first NHL goal came in the next game, Oct. Louis Blues, and he finished his rookie season with 14 goals. He led the Thrashers with hits in and scored 19 goals.
The Thrashers relocated to Winnipeg to become the Winnipeg Jets in , and Kane responded with a goal season. At the age of 20, he was the NHL's youngest goal scorer that season. Kane's hits led the Jets in , and his shots were second in the NHL. He had an eight-game point streak from Feb. Kane scored his th NHL goal on Nov. On Feb. In that scenario, the most likely option when it comes to reassignment is that they come to a mutual decision that Kane would sit out this season, potentially on a suspension from him failing to report to the Barracuda.
Hypothetically it would give the team time to decide how to proceed, allow Kane the time to build good PR by sitting out of the season, if nothing else and it would give the Sharks some cap relief.
Another reason is that compared to last year, the locker room environment has been a huge improvement. Plus, the Sharks already approached training camp and the preseason without Kane in mind.
They structured their team and identity for the regular season to account for his absence, not inclusion. Why mess with the winning formula now after all that work? Either Evander Kane returns and disrupts the momentum the team has this season, or the Sharks are able to offload his contract and will finally be able to move on from the ghosts of Sharks past. Cookie banner We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our site, show personalized content and targeted ads, analyze site traffic, and understand where our audiences come from.
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