Despite possible suspension, Evander Kane could soon join a Sharks’ division rival, report says

Evander Kane could soon be back in the NHL and his return still might happen with the Edmonton Oilers, one of the teams the Sharks are competing with for a playoff spot in the Western Conference.

Interest between Kane and the Oilers remains strong, as the winger met recently with Oilers general manager Ken Holland and coach Dave Tippett, according to TSN’s Darren Dreger. The Washington Capitals, the Sharks’ opponent Wednesday night, also have interest in Kane’s services, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.

Kane signing with the Oilers would certainly add some intrigue to the second half of the season, potentially starting with when Edmonton visits SAP Center in San Jose on Feb. 14.

The Sharks enter Wednesday tied for fourth place in the Pacific Division with the Calgary Flames with 44 points, four points back of the Los Angeles Kings for third place in the division. The Oilers are in sixth place with 42 points, but, as of early Wednesday, had four games in hand.

Kane and his potential suitors are awaiting official word from the NHL regarding its latest investigation into the 30-year-old former Sharks forward and results of that inquiry could be announced Thursday, Dreger said.

On Jan. 12, NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly notified teams that the league is looking into the process in which Kane crossed the border from the U.S. into Canada on Dec. 29, less than 10 days after he tested positive for COVID-19 when he was still with the Sharks’ AHL affiliate, the Barracuda.

Kane tested positive for COVID-19 on Dec. 21 and entered that league’s protocol, which stated at the time that symptomatic individuals must isolate themselves for 10 days after a positive test. If asymptomatic, a player can continue to be tested daily and would be subject to an early exit from isolation with two consecutive negative PCR tests.

Canadian travel regulations indicate that individuals who have symptoms consistent with COVID-19, or who have tested positive for the coronavirus in the last 15 days, may not enter Canada by air on a public flight. Those restrictions are also in place for Canadian citizens, which Kane is.

Part of the reason why the Sharks terminated what was left of Kane’s seven-year, $49 million contract in early January was that they believed he did not have medical clearance to fly and that he violated AHL protocols.

The NHL Players’ Association has disputed that conclusion and filed a grievance on Kane’s behalf shortly after the Sharks terminated his contract. It remains unclear as to when that grievance will be heard and when the arbitrator might rule on the case.

Kane, who led the Sharks with 49 points in 56 games last season, was placed on waivers by the NHL team in late November as his 21-game suspension for violating league COVID-19 protocols came to an end.

After Kane cleared waivers, he was assigned to the Barracuda, with which he had eight points in five games.