Sharks place Kane on waivers as his NHL suspension ends

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Evander Kane's tenure with the Sharks could be coming to an end, as he is being waived by the organization on Sunday, the organization told reporters Sunday.

The San Jose Mercury News' Curtis Pashelka first reported the news citing league sources. Sharks assistant general manager Joe Will said Sunday that Kane will join the Barracuda if he clears waivers and will be expected to report Tuesday.

"We just decided that since he's a contracted hockey player, it's the best thing at this time for him to continue to play hockey, and the best option for that right now is the Barracuda," Will told reporters during a conference call.

Kane's 21-game suspension for violating the NHL's COVID-19 protocol will end Monday, as the Sharks are scheduled to play the Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday night at the United Center.

The winger has not been around the team since the start of training camp, although he recently skated away from his teammates at Sharks Ice.

Will said there is no timeline for if or when Kane could possibly re-join the Sharks' roster, but mentioned his play and "conduct" will factor into the eventual decision.

Waiving Kane now does save the Sharks $1.125 million against the salary cap for this season.

RELATED: Sharks GM Wilson taking temporary medical leave from role

The Barracuda will practice Tuesday with Kane expected to be in attendance, and their next scheduled game would be Dec. 4 against the Abbotsford Canucks. Will was unsure if Kane would be traveling with the team for that road trip.

Will also clarified that Kane is vaccinated against COVID-19. His suspension by the NHL reportedly was due to his use of a fake vaccination card.

A possible trade for Kane has been reported to be an option for the Sharks, and Will said the door remains open to a deal. Kane has a no-trade clause in his contract that allows him to limit the number of teams he could be moved to to just three.

"Yeah I think anything is a possibility. We continue to look at all options, so we look at all options and aren't committed to any. So we'll pursue anything that's there as we do daily with our roster and our organization," Will said.

We will see if Kane reports to the Barracuda on Tuesday, but it appears the organization wants to give him a chance to turn things around after his lengthy suspension to open the year.

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