Sharks' Evander Kane clears waivers, to be assigned to AHL club after suspension

The San Jose Sharks plan to send veteran forward Evander Kane to the American Hockey League after he cleared waivers on Monday.

Assistant general manager Joe Will on Sunday said Kane was placed on waivers before his 21-game suspension for submitting a fake COVID-19 vaccination card ended Monday. Kane was eligible to play Tuesday against New Jersey.

He is expected to report to the San Jose Barracuda of the AHL on Tuesday, and it's uncertain when he will be ready to play.

"Over the past few weeks, we have been discussing Evander's return to San Jose," Kane's agent, Don Milstein, said in a statement on Sunday. "We were not surprised by the Sharks' decision to put him on waivers and, if he does clear, he will report to the Barracuda. Evander is looking forward to resuming his NHL career this season."

Will, filling in while general manager Doug Wilson is on medical leave, said putting Kane on waivers gives the team flexibility before determining what they want to do with Kane going forward.

Will said Kane is now fully vaccinated.

Kane, 30, is three seasons into a seven-year, $49-million US contract and is still owed more than $20 million on that deal, per the San Jose Mercury News.

He's with his third organization after being drafted by and debuting with Atlanta/Winnipeg, and a stint in Buffalo.

Last season, he had 22 goals and 27 assists in 56 games.

He has 264 goals and 506 points in 769 NHL regular-season games for the Atlanta Thrashers (2009-11), Winnipeg (2011-15), Buffalo (2015-18) and the Sharks.