Sabre Noise
Fansided

Buffalo Sabres Stuck In Between A Rock And A Hard Place With Evander Kane

By Richard Spalding

Feb 9, 2016; Buffalo, NY, USA; Buffalo Sabres left wing Evander Kane (9) is held back by linesman Steve Miller (89) after fighting Florida Panthers defenseman Alex Petrovic (not shown) for the second time during the second period at First Niagara Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 9, 2016; Buffalo, NY, USA; Buffalo Sabres left wing Evander Kane (9) is held back by linesman Steve Miller (89) after fighting Florida Panthers defenseman Alex Petrovic (not shown) for the second time during the second period at First Niagara Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit

Dammit, why can’t the Buffalo Sabres just have nice things?

The Buffalo Sabres drafted well.  The Buffalo Sabres re-signed defensemen Casey Nelson and Jake McCabe.  Hell, the Buffalo Sabres just signed 60+ point-scorer Kyle Okposo to a 7-year, $42 million dollar salary, putting the team on the path to the playoffs.

So why can’t we all just be excited about the future of professional hockey in the 716?

Because of Evander Freaking Kane, that’s why.

And there’s not a damn thing Sabres GM Tim Murray can really do about it.

More from Sabre Noise

Kane’s digressions are public knowledge – hell, you think the Winnipeg Jets bailed on a former 30-goal scorer who was still under the age of 25 just to be charitable?- but the Sabres front office had to think that a change of scenery and teammates would accelerate Kane’s maturation process.  And aside from his less-than-intelligent decision to attend the NBA All-Star game in Toronto,  which resulted in his sleeping in and missing his very next practice with the Sabres, Kane flew under the radar in 2015-16, causing the Sabres faithful to hope the left-winger was starting to figure things out.

And then . . . @#!%.

Without getting into details about what transpired on draft weekend, I can come to the conclusion that Kane is guilty of really questionable judgment- and that’s an absolute best-case scenario.  Worst-case? He’s a cancer in the locker room, an anchor holding this team back from reaching its full potential.

Neither scenario is desirable for a team as loaded with young talent and sky’s-the-limit potential as the Buffalo Sabres – but what can GMTM do at this point?

For what it’s worth, Murray has expressed disappointment in Kane’s behavior, and has promised to speak with his young forward once the legal aspect has been resolved. But don’t you get the feeling that previous coaches and GAS have tried the “Let’s talk,” approach, and fail?

And if you hope the Buffalo Sabres just trade Kane and make him someone else’s problem, good luck with that.  Buffalo can’t afford to lose his 40+ points per season, even with Okposo on board, and no GM in the NHL is going to give GMTM equal value this close to Kane’s most recent indiscretion.

So right now, the Buffalo Sabres are caught between a rock and a hard place when it comes to Evander Kane.  They can either hope this latest run-in with the law is the wake-up call he desperately needs, or they can take one on the chin and ship him out for 60 cents on the dollar.  Either way, it’s gotta be frustrating to everyone in the front office that his antics are raining on what has otherwise been a sunny offseason.

Home/Sabres News