Vancouver Canucks shouldn’t chase Evander Kane in free agency
By Alex Hoegler
The Vancouver Canucks have long been rumoured as a possible destination for Evander Kane. The Athletic’s Jason Brough thinks they’ll pursue him in the offseason — but here’s why the Canucks have to resist the temptation.
As the Vancouver Canucks prepare for another year of watching the playoffs from home, general manager Jim Benning and president Trevor Linden will once again be looking for ways to address his team’s many flaws.
Though the Canucks are once again among the very worst in the Western Conference, there have been improvements. Brock Boeser could win the Calder Trophy as he nears the 30-goal and 60-point marks.
Bo Horvat will hit 20 goals for a second consecutive year, and probably would be close to the 50-60 point range if he didn’t miss 18 games. Daniel Sedin has turned back the clock, with 21 goals and 46 points — already better totals than last season.
But make no mistake, this team still doesn’t have enough scoring depth to seriously compete for a playoff spot in the near future. All other players not named Brock, Bo and Daniel have combined for just 108 goals thus far in 2017-18.
Which is why San Jose Sharks forward Evander Kane seems like an ideal fit for the Canucks. In fact, Jason Brough of The Athletic (h/t Spector’s Hockey), would be surprised if Benning doesn’t go after Kane — a pending UFA.
On paper, Kane seems like a great fit for the Canucks. The Vancouver native played for the WHL’s Giants, and he’s now reached the 20-goal mark in three consecutive seasons. Surely, he’s worth signing to a long-term contract –comparable to Loui Eriksson‘s — right?
Not exactly.
You see, the Canucks have just over $480,000 in cap space, according to CapFriendly.com. The Sedin twins need new contracts. Sven Baertschi, Markus Granlund, Jake Virtanen, Derrick Pouliot and Troy Stecher are RFAs, and you can expect all of them to get significant raise.
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So cap constraints alone make the idea of Kane coming to Vancouver a pipe dream. But besides that, the Canucks simply can’t take a risk on signing Kane to such a big deal. It’s just not worth it.
Benning already has his hands tied to Eriksson for four more years, and to Brandon Sutter for three.
The Canucks are supposed to be rebuilding, and handcuffing themselves with long-term deals to all these forwards is just not smart. You have no idea if Kane will develop chemistry with Horvat or the Sedins.
And though the front office seems intent on rushing this rebuild, they have to stay patient throughout the process. Baertschi should be a consistent 20-goal scorer, provided he stays healthy long-term. Virtanen has made strides under head coach Travis Green, and you have to think big things are in store next season and beyond.
There are other wingers in the pipeline system that the Canucks need to stay devoted to. Jonathan Dahlen and Kole Lind could be in the NHL at some point next year. Add up all these names, and Kane simply isn’t needed in Vancouver.
Yes, Canucks fans want more scoring. Yes, the front office wants to start winning again as soon as possible. But guess what? Benning struck out on Eriksson and whiffed on signing Sutter long-term.
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Kane will cost too much money and isn’t worth the risk. If Benning wants to be a player in this summer’s free agent market, he should only be looking at defencemen in the bargain shopping bin. That’s what the Canucks need more than anything, not another inconsistent scorer.