Buffalo Sabres: Charges Against Evander Kane Dropped

With all outstanding charges against Evander Kane being dismissed, what should the Buffalo Sabres do with the mercurial winger?

This year just keeps getting better for Evander Kane. First, he shows his worth to the Buffalo Sabres, by leading them with 28 goals (the second-most of his NHL career).

Now, as reported by WIVB‘s Kaley Lynch, the outstanding trespassing and harassment charges against Kane have been dropped. His lawyer Paul Cambria confirmed the news on Tuesday, saying the case was sealed on April 30.

This is understandably good news for both the player and the Sabres. Kane was facing several harassment charges as well as trespassing, as a result of an alleged incident at a Buffalo nightclub in June 2016.

More from Buffalo Sabres

The 2009 fourth overall draft pick pleased not guilty to all the charges. In October last year, a judge said the charges would be dropped, if the winger stayed out of trouble for six months.

Of course, you could argue that behaving himself for the previous six months, was (relatively) easy for Kane. Now that the charges have been dismissed, can a player with a history of getting into trouble continue to be a model citizen away from the ice?

Certainly the Sabres will be hoping so, especially after the 25-year old’s 28 goals, which all came during his final 58 games of the 2016-17 season. Unlike his maturity, not many people dispute that he has excellent talent.

With that said, the Sabres now have a dilemma. With one year remaining on Kane’s contract, do they trade him while his value is high, or look to sign him to a contract extension?

In truth, no matter what the Sabres do, they will be taking a calculated gamble which could backfire. It’s a tough decision, regardless of how much the Vancouver, British Columbia native finally appears to be growing up.

*****

Keeping with the theme of good news, Buffalo will continue to host the NHL Scouting Combine through 2019. The report was confirmed by WGR 550‘s Paul Hamilton.

Buffalo has hosted the Combine since 2015, when it moved from Toronto. In a team statement, President Russ Brandon said:

"“It’s been a pleasure to host this event the last two years and we are honored to be chosen to continue hosting through 2019. The combination of KeyBank Center and HarborCenter provides the perfect venue for the Combine, and we look forward to building on the success we’ve achieved during the last two events.”"

The event is held annually in late May and early June. It includes interviews, medical assessments and physical fitness tests, as every NHL team has the opportunity to meet prospects in preparation for the draft.

Next: Is Brian Burke the Solution for GM?

Put yourself in the Sabres’ shoes – what would you do with Kane? Trade him or look to sign him to a contract extension, and why? Share your thoughts in the comments section.

Home/Buffalo Sabres