Sharks reportedly unable to terminate Evander Kane's contract

The dust has not yet settled on San Jose Sharks forward Evander Kane and the 21-game suspension that he has received for violating the NHL's COVID-19 protocols by using a fake vaccination card, but already folks are wondering what the next steps here are.

There has been some speculation that the Sharks may look at either trading Kane or look into the possibility of attempting to terminate the remainder of his contract, but as Hockey Insider Chris Johnston pointed out on Insider Trading, that simply isn't an option.

Johnston has confirmed that multiple sources have revealed to him that since the NHL has issued the 21-game suspension, that would serve as Kane's official punishment and that any attempt to terminate his deal at this point would be a CBA violation.

Johnston also mentioned the possibility that the Sharks may elect to waive Kane for the purpose of assigning him to the AHL's San Jose Barracuda - or simply pay him to remain home to avoid any additional distractions in the dressing room.


Kane has certainly had a circus of issues following him around over the past few seasons, so it will be interesting to see how the team chooses to handle things when he reaches the end of his suspension.