An interesting question regarding players like Evander Kane and Tony DeAngelo
Does a player's views or off-ice behaviour impact your perception of their play? For a huge chunk of Leafs Nation I would say it definitely does. I would also say it doesn't for many others.
This writer's opinion is largely split down the middle. I just want results on the ice. The moment any player in any sport leaves the game, my opinions on them largely cease to exist. Obviously, there are limits to that.. for example, if a player is a convicted criminal, just about everyone will have an opinion on that. An act of racism falls in line with that as well, because there is no place for that in the game or in society. However, a party animal, a gambling addiction, bad decision making? This makes no impact on my judgement of the player, though I will concede that everyone is different and is entitled to their opinion.
Evander Kane is a good hockey player. This isn't a controversial statement to make. He can consistently score 20+ goals, make his presence felt with his physicality, and even dominate the game at times. He isn't an elite talent, But he is a damn good one.
The glaring issue with the man seems to be between his ears. I won't list Kane's rap sheet because, well, it's a mile long. He has started to burn all of his lifelines in this league. It's impossible at this point to cast real judgement on the man, due to the amount of speculation, accusations, and other unsubstantiated things that I am not interested in unpacking here. What I am saying is, I think he can make any team he plays for better. And that is the only thing that matters to me.
Tony DeAngelo, is as close as you can get to performing at an elite level. At the time of writing this piece, he has 5 goals, 16 assists, and a plus 10 rating in 23 games. His cap hit if you're curious? A modest $1 million.
Drafted in 2014, he has pretty consistently performed well at the NHL level. I'm sure that if you're a big enough fan to be reading articles, you are wise to why this man is where he is and why he is overwhelmingly outperforming his current contract.
Tony D has not only replaced stud defenceman Dougie Hamilton after Hamilton left the Hurricanes in the offseason - he has largely made him irrelevant to Canes fans after he signed with the New Jersey Devils in the summer. The price tag? A hefty $9 million. Hamilton has registered 7 Goals, 13 assists and is a -9 in 29 games with the Devils. I can't spell it out any better here.
The Canes got better and saved $8 million in cap space. I am not a fan of Tony, and I probably never will be. But the ends here are justifying the means. Can a team do this with Evander Kane? Would you be excited to see Tony or Evander come to Toronto? It's an interesting dialogue to promote. We, the fans, are not the guys that make these decisions, and maybe that's for the best.
Be sure to let us know in the comments if you'd welcome a player like Evander Kane or Tony DeAngelo to the Leafs' locker room regardless of what they're like away from the rink, so long as they helped the team win.
