Buffalo Sabres: Will Evander Kane Be a Problem Long Term?

Everyone makes mistakes, but should the Buffalo Sabres be concerned about Evander Kane continually getting into trouble?

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If you were to call Evander Kane the Johnny Manziel of the NHL, it would be interesting to see what percentage of Buffalo Sabres fans agreed with this statement. Certainly, the winger has had his fair share of issues during his seven years in the league.

The most recent example saw Kane benched for the Sabres last game in Ottawa, due to sleeping in on Monday and missing practice. After attending the NBA All-Star Game in Toronto, going out partying was not exactly the smartest of decisions.

To then document your nocturnal activities on social media (since deleted) only made matters worse. However, haven’t we all been in similar situations on a Sunday night before work, especially as a young adult?

Of course, most of us aren’t multi-millionaires, with plenty of time during the offseason to socialize. Ultimately though, as a one-off, this is not an issue.

Unfortunately though, that is the problem – this isn’t a one-off where the 2009 fourth overall draft pick is concerned. Heck, it isn’t even the first time he’s been in trouble this season.

As previously reported by Tim Graham of The Buffalo News, Kane is the subject of a sex offense investigation by Buffalo police. It should be noted he has not been charged with any crime (to date), over an incident which allegedly happened in a hotel room in downtown Buffalo, back in December.

Dec 28, 2015; Buffalo, NY, USA; Buffalo Sabres left wing Evander Kane (9) during the game against the Washington Capitals at First Niagara Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports /

Sadly, the 24-year old isn’t the first and won’t be the last professional athlete to be accused of such crimes. However, even if we assume he is innocent, putting himself in such a situation in the first place, again shows poor judgement.

Kane has been on fire of late for the Sabres, scoring goals in five of his last six and eight of his last 13 games. This is the form Dan Bylsma was hoping to see from the highly-talented, but mercurial player.

Moving forward, Buffalo are going to have to make a decision about whether or not the Vancouver native will eventually grow up, or always be a problem? He seemed contrite enough about the latest incident, when discussing it with the media.

Understandably for some people, Kane’s latest apology carries little weight. For example, a lot of folks in Winnipeg will tell you this is the type of behavior which led to his being traded from the Jets, after wearing out his welcome.

As things stand, the 2007 Memorial Cup winner has two more seasons remaining on his contract, after this one. The Sabres will no doubt use this time to determine if they should make a long-term commitment to him.

While there is no doubting Kane’s ability, there are those who believe he will never change in terms of how he handles himself off the ice. Ultimately, whether the Sabres keep him around or not, they will be taking a gamble.

Next: Should the Sabres trade Jamie McGinn?

What are your thoughts about Evander Kane? Should the Sabres commit to him long-term, or look to get him off the roster as soon as possible? Let us know in the comments section below.

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