The San Jose Sharks acquired star winger Evander Kane from the Buffalo Sabres for a conditional 2019 first-round pick, a conditional 2020 fourth-round pick, and forward Daniel O’Regan, the team announced Monday.
Sharks acquire Sabres’ Evander Kane in deadline day trade
San Jose adds some major scoring ability up front.
Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports
The deal does not come with a contract extension attached between Kane and San Jose, per TSN’s Bob McKenzie, so the winger is still set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer. The 2019 first-round pick becomes a second-round pick if the Sharks don’t re-sign Kane.
Kane, 26, was one of the top rental players available on the trade market this month. He’s a gifted scorer who has recorded 20 goals and 20 assists in 61 games for a struggling Sabres team this season. Since the start of the 2016-17 season, he has 48 goals in just 131 games.
That scoring ability will be a major addition to the Sharks, who are second in the Pacific Division with a 33-21-9 record. The team is just 17th in goals per game, and Logan Couture is the only one with more than 15 goals. They already had a balanced offense with nine different players scoring 10 or more goals, but Kane gives them the kind of elite finisher who could be a game-changer.
San Jose paid a high price to add that element. There were rumors that the Sabres were insisting on a first-round pick in any talks regarding Kane, which is a lot for a player who will only be around for a few months. However, the Sharks ponied up that and more in order to land one of the most talented players on the market.
O’Regan is a depth player who the Sharks drafted in the fifth round in 2012. He spent time on the same line as Jack Eichel in college, so there’s some already existing chemistry there. The young forward spent most of the past two seasons in the AHL, where he’s recorded an impressive 83 points in 94 games. That hints at his NHL potential, although it’s usually not a good sign if you’re 24 years old and still playing at that level.
The first-round pick in 2019 is the real centerpiece of the return package for the Sabres. The team now has two first-round picks next year.
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