The Vancouver Canucks aren’t afraid to pull the trigger on a move. The Pacific Division team has done business with their rivals, the Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames, on multiple occasions. They sent Vasily Podkolzin in exchange for a draft pick to the Oilers in one deal, while sending a pick back to them in exchange for Evander Kane.
The Podkolzin deal worked out well for the Oilers, who inked him to an extension as part of their summer business. Kane, on the other hand, hasn’t worked out well for the Canucks. And after recent events, he’s in hot water with his new fans.
Off-Ice: Evander Kane in Hot Water Over New Pictures
Kane hasn’t been one to hide his affiliations. Recently, he attended Donald Trump’s Inauguration when he began his second term as President of the United States.
He has also been photographed with Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, the leader of the United Conservative Party in Alberta. Now, Kane is making waves among the Canucks fanbase after new photos surfaced on social media.
The Vancouver Sun reported that Kane had dinner with FBI Director Kash Patel on Saturday, before the Canucks played the Washington Capitals in the US Capitol on Sunday.
Canucks fans have not been impressed and are expressing their displeasure online.
“While millions of Americans were in the streets protesting against Trump’s fascist regime, Evander Kane was having dinner with one of the key figures of that regime, disgusting little Kash Patel,” wrote one user on X.
“Evander Kane is an American spy paid for by the FBI, and I won’t be convinced otherwise,” wrote another.
Another user on X wrote, “This is more than keep hockey and politics separate or he’s entitled to his opinions. What the trump regime and his cronies are doing in USA is disgusting, and going to dinner and taking pictures with said cronies in front of a backdrop means he agrees with it.”
“Prediction: Canucks trade Kane and say it’s because… 1 – They need more cap space to get around their current injury troubles. 2 – ‘The Youth beat him out for spots’, and they’ll cite the Calder Cup line as evidence of such,” wrote yet another user.
Over on Canucks Reddit, one user wrote, “The irony is that he plays left wing.”
On-Ice: Kane Leaving Much to be Desired
GettyEvander Kane
Regardless of what is happening with Kane off-ice, his on-ice impact has been equally criticized.
While defending a one-goal lead against the Capitals over the weekend, Kane made a drop pass at his own blueline. The Capitals had pulled their goaltender for an extra attacker.
“That was one of the stupidest plays I have ever seen an NHLer make. Evander Kane, with room to skate it out for a chance at an empty net, passed it back into his own zone,” wrote Daniel Wagner, a Canucks analyst on X. “Never put Evander Kane on the ice when defending a one-goal lead. This is an all-time stupid play.”
During the Canucks game against the Pittsburgh Penguins on October 21st, Wagner shared another post comparing Kane’s ice time to Elias Pettersson’s.
“Through two periods, Elias Pettersson is 8th among #Canucks forwards in 5v5 ice time at 7:39. Yes, he’s also played 2:28 on the PK and 1:22 on the PP, but even with all of that included, he’s still had less ice time than Evander Kane,” wrote Wagner.
The 6-foot-2, 218 lb forward has three points in seven games with the Canucks. Kane has averaged 16:35 in ice time, with his most common linemates being Conor Garland and Filip Chytil. He has spent 19 percent of his ice time as part of that trio.
Kane is in the final year of a four-year contract paying him $5.125 million.
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