Capitals Don’t Need Evander Kane, Won’t Sign Him

The last few days in DC have been abuzz with rumors that the Washington Capitals are considering signing Evander Kane. Let’s pump the brakes on this rumor. Should they consider it? Of course they should. Brian MacLellan would be doing a disservice to the organization and to us as fans if he didn’t look at every opportunity to improve the team. With that said, let’s all take a deep breath.

Should they sign him? Absolutely not. Will they? It’s doubtful; Kane, a once-talented winger has seen his career take a nosedive in recent years due to his well-noted actions off of the ice. But for a moment, put your morals to the side and focus only on winning and ask yourself this: Does Evander Kane solve any of the Washington Capitals’ problems? Does he make this a better team? Your answer should be a resounding no. And that is why the Capitals won’t sign Evander Kane.

Evander Kane is not a proven-playoff goaltender like Braden Holtby or Marc-Andre Fluery is, he’s not a magical medicine-man that prevents all illness and injuries (but if he was, where do we sign?). Put simply, he’s a troubled player that can score goals and be a contributing member on offense.

Last season with the San Jose Sharks, Evander Kane scored 22 goals and added 27 assists. He is still a player who can contribute offensively, there’s no arguing that, but that isn’t a problem that the Capitals have. Even with Anthony Mantha out indefinitely, Nicklas Backstrom just returning to the lineup and T.J. Oshie missing more than half of the Capitals’ games this season they can still score and score in droves. The Caps rank 7th in the NHL with 137 goals scored, with all of the injuries and with a power play so bad that it ought to cost Blaine Forsythe his job.

It may not seem like it now, but the team will get healthy. Mantha and Oshie will return and there will simply no place for Evander Kane in the top-six when that happens. Kane also won’t fix the power play, without Mantha and Oshie, the problem on the man-advantage is still not personnel. At a minimum, this team is plenty talented to operate above league-average on the man-advantage even with two of their top-six out injured. Evander Kane is not a coach willing to change power play scheme.

At the end of the day, Kane does nothing but bring controversy to the Washington Capitals’ organization. The Capitals have been a standup organization for years and their management has given me no reason to believe they will take a flyer on Evander Kane. So for now, exhale Capitals’ fans.