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Should the Flames explore adding Evander Kane?

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Evander Kane is many things. One of them is productive NHL goal-scorer, and the Calgary Flames could use one (or two) more of those.

But because of what else Evander Kane is, suggesting the Flames make an offer for the soon-to-be free agent isn’t simple.

Kane can be selfish, oblivious, reckless, sneaky and apparently outright stupid. Anyone who (allegedly) falsifies documents and submits them to a league that’s very profitability hinges on how it navigates all the pandemic problems clearly isn’t using all the brain cells available to them.

If he wasn’t such a proven producer of offence in that same league, which also requires goals to make its world go ’round, this would probably be the end of his NHL story. He’s burned bridges, continuously made terrible decisions, and at this point can’t be taken at his word by anybody.

And yet, this league, and the egos within, may not be able to let the opportunity to sign Kane pass them by. Nobody wanted to trade for him. Giving up assets was unnecessary. The San Jose Sharks would eventually find a way to do what they’ve put in motion now – intending to terminate his hefty contract.

Reports suggest the final straw here was that Kane broke COVID protocol to leave the country, giving the Sharks what they needed to dump him and his entire salary with the NHL’s blessing.

Assuming it sticks and Kane becomes a free agent, he’ll have plenty of suitors.

Expect plenty of interest when the Kane contract termination is finished

Sounds batshit bonkers, doesn’t it?

Well, it’s true. Teams will be calling up his agent to kick those tires and see how low they might be able to sign him for. It’s a business. Kane is an asset. Not sure there is such a thing as a last chance in this league.

So should the Flames bother making that call?

A quick Twitter poll returned some interesting responses.

On the yes side …

Among the no votes …

My thoughts? Absolutely.

That’s not to suggest they should sign him. But they should explore what it would take financially. And discuss how they might manage that move internally and externally if they decided to make it.

It comes down to how strong the Calgary Flames leadership group is, and how they would handle the addition of a talented but controversial wildcard like Kane.

If there’s any worry, it’s how fragile that internal chemistry seemed last season. Something was off with Matthew Tkachuk and some teammates.

Calgary Flames GM Brad Treliving should do a poll of his players to see what their appetite would be for adding Kane. If anyone could handle Kane, it might be Darryl Sutter. The Flames head coach has said repeatedly this season that this team doesn’t have enough skill.

“You guys were burying us in the pre-season,” the Calgary Flames coach told the media after their third straight loss this week. “Don’t do it yet. I said we’d be an honest, hard-working team that tried to make the playoffs. That’s what we’re trying to do.”

Having more scorers might help them do that.

It’s at least worth exploring.