Pros and cons of Maple Leafs pursuing Evander Kane

Con: Maple Leafs should be giving Josh Ho-Sang a shot to play in the NHL

Ever since he joined Toronto on a professional tryout agreement in training camp, Josh Ho-Sang has had the right attitude about trying to get back to the NHL.

In 23 games with the Toronto Marlies, the former first-round pick has 10 goals and 17 points. He could even find himself as a potential option to play in the Beijing Olympics with Ho-Sang’s name being included in the conversation. 

Like Kane, this is a player who has had his issues off the ice, although not to the same degree. It feels like he is maturing as a person and will need to show the Leafs decision-makers that he isn’t a defensive liability.

"“He’s doing a really good job at self-reflecting and re-evaluating after every game where he’s at, what he’s doing,” said Marlies head coach Greg Moore. “We’re seeing a lot of strong gains in his game of things that he knows he needs to work on, whether it’s his defensive spots, his compete on 50-50 pucks defensively, or even in the offensive zone, and highlighting that you can use his skill to make his team better and not just wait and pick and choose his spots offensively. “He’s really starting to round out his game, and now it’s just finding the consistency within that as it develops and grows.”"

Sure, Kane is the more proven player at the NHL level but Ho-Sang has been patiently waiting for his chance, doing the right things and doesn’t bring the same level of baggage.

Con: Interest in Kane could lead to a potential bidding war

Don’t expect Evander Kane to sign for the minimum salary when he makes his return to the NHL considering his agent made it a point to say there is a lot of interest in his client.

Of course, this is Dan Milstein’s job. Not only does he need to drum up interest in his client and find the best landing spot but he wants to make sure Kane is compensated too especially if he loses his grievance.

On a one-year deal, the contract would be pro-rated for the remainder of the season. How much he gets remains to be seen but it could fall in the $1 to $2 million range or a team will provide incentives with bonuses based on how many games Kane plays and his production.

This could take the Leafs out of the running as they don’t have a lot of cap space to work with and will have to look at how to improve their blue line at the trade deadline. So unless Kane wants to take less to join the Leafs, he will likely be signing elsewhere.

Do you think the Leafs should consider pursuing Kane? What would be the pros and cons for you? Let us know in the comments below.