Apparently other teams are sniffing around the Winnipeg Jets' best player, Evander Kane. Recent hub bubs regarding Kane being a "healthy scratch" against the Chicago Blackhawks last week have apparently led to rumors that Kane is unhappy playing under coach Claude Noel. As you may remember, Alex Burmistrov had well-known differences with the coach, and he is currently in the KHL. That's not an option for Kane (his KHL team even sent him home for not "being able to adapt" to KHL play), so the natural next option would be to get him out of Winnipeg.
According to The Fourth Period, other teams have called to inquire about Kane.
It would take the Jets a significant offer to part with Kane, who reportedly hasn't seen eye-to-eye with Noel for some time, but the team is believed to be willing to listen, in the event a package comes across their table that is too good to pass up.
No one's untouchable when you're the second to last team in the Central Division. The Jets have had problems adapting to the Western Conference so far; perhaps Kane would be happier with a different coach and team back in the East? He has four years remaining on his contract, and he won't come cheap ($4.5 million is due to him this year, $6 million a year the next four years), but getting out of somewhere where he is the constant focal point would probably help.
Whatever is going on there, it's obvious that Noel and Kane don't work together; one of the two is going to wind up leaving the Jets eventually. Check out these quotes from TSN and tell me if this sounds like a player and coach who see eye to eye:
“I felt healthy enough to play,” Kane told reporters on Friday. “The definition of a healthy scratch is a healthy player not playing so that was my interpretation. It's pretty obvious that's what it was.”Noel responded, disputing Kane's claim he was a healthy scratch.“While I respect Evander for his opinion, for me Evander was a coach's decision,” Noel said. “There is a protocol we follow, and for me it was an injury-related decision. I understand he disagrees. That's his opinion.”Despite the difference of opinion, Kane said now he's just happy to be back in action with his teammates.“I'm moving on and happy to be on a line with two other guys and not by myself. I'm happy to be back in the lineup and I guess there is a first time for everything.”
