The San Jose Sharks made a big splash at the NHL trade deadline.
The Sharks acquired Evander Kane from the Buffalo Sabres for a 2019 conditional pick, center Danny O'Regan, and a 2019 or 2020 conditional pick, the teams announced Monday afternoon. Those conditional picks are a 2019 second round pick, which becomes a first round pick if San Jose re-signs Kane or the team wins the Stanley Cup this year, and a 2019 fourth round pick that can become a 2020 third round pick if San Jose chooses to push it off a year.
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"Evander is one of the top young power forwards in the NHL. He is a dynamic player who has a unique combination of size, grit, speed and goal-scoring ability," Sharks general manager Doug Wilson said in a statement. "We wanted to add a player that could help this team but also was just hitting his prime. We feel that Evander fits both of those needs and we see this as a great opportunity for him to get to know our group and the city of San Jose."
Kane is a pending unrestricted free agent, and was arguably one of the biggest names available on the market. His 20 goals in 61 games with the Sabres this season are more than every Shark but Logan Couture, and Kane's scored at least 20 goals in four of the past six full (read: not lockout-shortened) seasons.
Wilson told Hockey Night in Canada two weeks ago that he "didn't see [the team] in the rental market." If Kane is not a rental player and re-signs in San Jose, the Sharks will have to give the Sabres a first round pick in 2019, according to Sabres general manager Jason Botterill. That pick is lottery-protected, Wilson said.
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The pick will automatically become a first rounder if the Sharks win the Stanley Cup this season, Botterill said. If Kane signs elsewhere and San Jose does not win the Stanley Cup, the Sharks will give up a 2019 second round pick.