In this edition of San Jose Sharks News & Rumors, Evander Kane’s grievance against the team still remains a big question mark months later. In other news, former Ottawa Senator Erik Karlsson spoke on the passing of Eugene Melnyk. A scary injury occurred for Logan Couture last Thursday against the Edmonton Oilers, but it ended up being much less worrisome than initially thought. Last but not least, Timo Meier’s great season has continued and has many believing he may be able to break the 40-goal plateau.
Kane’s Grievance Still Ongoing
Shortly after the Sharks terminated Kane’s contract in early January, the NHLPA filed a grievance on behalf of the 30-year-old. If upheld, the organization will be completely free of the $22.9 million they still owed Kane. A ruling on the decision, however, has still not yet been made.
“That’s in the league’s hands. I can’t comment on that situation,” acting general manager Joe Will said when asked about the matter by Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now.
From the sounds of things, neither party is in a hurry to get this situation resolved. It doesn’t appear Kane himself is too caught up in it either, as he is excelling with his new club, the Edmonton Oilers, notching 15 goals and 23 points through 29 games.
Karlsson Speaks on Melnyk’s Passing
Some sad news came from the hockey world on Monday, as it was confirmed that Melnyk, who purchased the Senators back in 2003, had passed away. Throughout his time as the Senators’ owner, he at times was quite controversial, never being afraid to say what was on his mind. But despite some of the outside opinions on him, one of his former players in Karlsson saw a different side of him.
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“We had a relationship, but obviously not as tight as when I played there,” Karlsson said. “People read things and they hear things, but there’s a lot more to the story. He was a passionate owner, he cared about the organization, and he wanted us to do well.”
Karlsson also went on to say that despite not having talked to Melnyk since being traded, the Senators’ owner sent him and his wife Melinda flowers when their daughter was born in 2019 and did the same when their son was born earlier this year.
Couture Fine After Injury Scare
In a game against the Oilers on March 24, Couture suffered a scary injury that caused him to cough up blood. The incident occurred after he accidentally got in the way of a Brent Burns blast in the second period.
“I tried to get out of the way,” Couture explained. “It got me right on the lung. I started coughing up a lot of blood down the hallway.”
“Got an X-ray, and the doctor at the arena told me that I should go to the hospital before they would let me fly, just to make sure that my lung wasn’t punctured. It wasn’t, it was just a bruised lung, and I was able to get on that flight, get home with the guys.”
The injury forced Couture to miss the following game two nights later against the Anaheim Ducks, but he was able to return Tuesday against the Arizona Coyotes. Thankfully, the Sharks captain avoided anything major, as this could have been a lot worse.
Meier Having Career Year
Entering the 2021-22 season, there were plenty of question marks surrounding Meier. The ninth overall pick of the 2015 draft appeared to be a star on the rise when, in 2018-19, he recorded 30 goals and 66 points in 78 games. Unfortunately, he followed that up with two disappointing seasons in a row, which had some believing he may be on the move.
That is no longer the case, as the 25-year-old has gotten his career back on track. Through just 62 games this season, he has established new career highs with 31 goals and 67 points. After having plenty of doubts cast on him, he has a realistic shot to crack 40 goals this season and is once again looking like one of the game’s bright young stars.
Up Next for the Sharks
The Sharks have just one game remaining on their schedule for the week, which will take place Saturday night against the Dallas Stars. They will be looking to end a two-game skid after losses to the Arizona Coyotes and Colorado Avalanche. While playoffs are out of the picture, they have a chance to play spoiler down the stretch of the 2021-22 campaign.