KANE WAITING ON NHL REPORT BEFORE SIGNING

TORONTO, ON — The NHL’s latest investigation into Evander Kane is expected to conclude mid-week, upon which a final report will detail its findings, a source close to the situation told TFP on Tuesday.

Kane has been able to speak with NHL clubs in the meantime, and still appears to be in position to sign with the Edmonton Oilers after the investigation wraps and the League signs off on it, but the NHL is reviewing accusations of falsified COVID-19 documentation and crossing the border into Vancouver on Dec. 29 after he tested positive for COVID-19 on Dec. 21, 2021.

The NHL has been interviewing various people about the situation, including Canada border services, who are also believed to be examining the matter.

Ultimately, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman will dictate when Kane can sign and play again.

If Kane does not have to face any further penalty from the NHL for crossing the border, and those within his camp tell me they are confident he will not, the 30-year-old will then finalize contract details with a new club – according to one source, he could sign as early as later this week.

Several teams reached out to Kane’s agent, Dan Milstein, after Kane became a free agent, but an agreement with the Oilers is expected to go through, barring any last-minute snags.

The NHLPA filed a grievance last week challenging the Sharks’ decision to terminate Kane’s contract and an arbitrator will oversee the case.

At the start of the season, Kane was suspended for 21 games for violating NHL COVID-19 protocol. He was later assigned to the AHL’s San Jose Barracuda.

In 769 career NHL regular-season games with the Atlanta Thrashers/Winnipeg Jets, Buffalo Sabres and San Jose Sharks, Kane has accumulated 264 goals and 242 assists for 506 points.