Advertisement

Canucks walked away from Evander Kane trade

Greg Wyshynski
Getty Images
Getty Images

Evander Kane and the Vancouver Canucks have been linked for years. He’s a local product, and starred for the Vancouver Giants during his junior years.

So it was no surprise that the Canucks were rumored to have interest in Kane after his latest legal entanglement was dropped in Buffalo and the Sabres hoped to ship him out. Those rumors grew stronger when John Weisbrod, the assistant general manager of the Canucks, was scheduled to see the Sabres on Thursday night.

But he didn’t show up, which is related to the Canucks’ current interest in Kane, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.

“The word is that Vancouver was not willing to pay the price that Buffalo was asking. Buffalo was asking a high price. Vancouver said no, and walked away from the trade,” said Friedman on Hockey Night In Canada.

Yes, the Sabres were asking too much for a guy who is averaging a police investigation per season and can’t stay healthy. But that’s because it’s the NHL, he ‘s 25 and once scored 30 goals, and he’s signed through 2018. That’s how it works.

If the Canucks balked, it’s for the best. As Jason Botchford writes:

That the Canucks are interested in Kane at all strikes to the core of everything that’s wrong with this team.

A Kane trade is a move a winner makes, a buy-low bet on an expensive problem winger who you hope can push you over the top before he becomes an unrestricted free agent at the end of next season.

It’s not a move a rebuilding team makes. Just look at how great it’s gone for the Sabres. The Canucks are a rebuilding team, whether or not the front office is going to cop to it.

There’s been some thought that Kane would be on his best behavior on a team from his hometown. We’ve never exactly agreed with that sentiment, but even if that were the case the though that Kane would be on his best behavior on his hometown team during a prolonged rebuild is hard to wrap your brain around.

This would have been a bad fit. Thank god for high asking prices.

—

Greg Wyshynski is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Contact him at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or find him on Twitter. His book, TAKE YOUR EYE OFF THE PUCK, is available on Amazon and wherever books are sold.

MORE FROM YAHOO SPORTS