Evander Kane was a healthy scratch on Wednesday, in his hometown of Vancouver. Due to his already strained relationship with the Winnipeg Jets, the scratching was big news, and became even bigger news after Paul Maurice declined to give a reason for it.
News came out that Kane had shown up to a team meeting in the middle of the day in a track suit, instead of an actual suit, and therefore was scratched for an apparent violation of team rules.
New information from a report by Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston reveals otherwise. From the report:
Kane wore a track suit when the Jets players gathered that morning — a violation of team policy. Following a brief workout and stretch, Byfuglien is said to have thrown those clothes into the shower to send a message to his teammate, according to sources.
That was the last the Winnipeg players saw of Kane until the team’s charter flight home.
It was previously believed the Jets had made Kane a scratch for the game in his hometown. Following the 3-2 overtime loss on Tuesday, Paul Maurice termed it a “coach’s decision.”
However, multiple sources familiar with the situation have since indicated that Kane was not on the team’s bus to Rogers Arena and then missed a pre-game meeting. Repeated attempts to reach him were unsuccessful until approximately an hour before puck drop, when Kane answered his cellphone and said he wouldn’t be playing against the Canucks that night.
Yikes. That makes this even more of a fiasco than what it already was, and with Kane missing practice today due to a doctor’s appointment, it seems that he could be getting surgery done on an undisclosed injury that’s been bothering him for a while.
All this adds up to a large amount of tension between the team and the player, and tension in hockey usually results in a guy getting traded.
Florida would seem like a good landing spot for Kane; the team needs a goal scoring winger to play with either Aleksander Barkov or Nick Bjugstad, and there is no denying that the Jet brings that.
The asking price for Kane is likely going to be at it’s lowest now, with all the controversy and drama in the locker room. If Jets’ head coach Paul Maurice wants him out, he’ll be out and for less than what he’s worth.
So what do you think? Would you want the Cats to bring Kane on? Or is he too much of a risk/not necessary?
Should Tallon trade for Evander Kane?
| Yes, he’s exactly the type of guy we need. | 85 |
| No, he’s too much of a risk. | 37 |
| No, the asking price would be too much. | 12 |
| Undecided/Other/Specify in comments | 9 |