SHARKS HEAD COACH BOB BOUGHNER GIVES UPDATE ON EVANDER KANE'S IMMEDIATE FUTURE WITH THE CLUB

With high-profile winger Evander Kane having made headlines after filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in California on January 9th, combined with the recent birth of his first child, there has been a lot of speculation over whether Kane would play hockey this season or not - and further to that, some concern over whether Kane would opt-out of his contract with the Sharks altogether.

Well, we did not have to wait long for an answer to these questions as Sharks head coach Bob Boughner publicly stated on Tuesday that there is no concern over whether Kane will play this season.

"I don't think we're worried about a distraction. I won't make a comment on any player's personal situation, but I am assured that he will be here for the whole season and that he's on board."

As a key offensive contributor for San Jose, it's no secret that Kane would have been missed greatly by the Sharks organization had he elected to sit out, as the club will no doubt be looking for redemption after a disastrous 2019-20 season.

The silver-lining here for Kane is that he will not have to wait long to begin rebuilding his life, as he still has $29M in salary remaining on his current contract with the Sharks.



Kane is coming off of a relatively strong season for the Sharks that saw the 29-year-old amass 26 goals and 21 assists for 47 points through 64 games last season. His .406 goals per game average in 2019-20 was the highest single season average throughout his entire NHL career, though he has been a very consistent goalscorer since entering the league in 2009 after being drafted 4th overall by the Atlanta Thrashers.

Perhaps Kane can use the upcoming season as an outlet to occupy his mind during these trying times. And who knows? Perhaps he can help lead the Sharks back to the postseason in the process.