It appears Evander Kane is on his way to the KHL.
According to a report from the Dinamo Minsk website, the Belarus-based club has agreed to terms with the Jets sniper, making him the first locked-out Canadian NHLer to join the league.
(As per Chris Johnston of the Canadian Press.)
Kane, 21, made waves just prior to the lockout by signing a six-year, $31.5 million extension with Winnipeg hours before the CBA expired.
The contract ended months of negotiation and speculation about Kane’s future with the Jets -- while the relationship between club and player has occasionally been tenuous off the ice, there have been no complaints about his on-ice production.
Kane led the Jets in goals last year, with 30, and finished second on the team in points while averaging 17:31 TOI.
As for the KHL development -- signing Kane is a big splash, and it’s not surprising Dinamo made it.
On Tuesday, the club made a huge move by securing the services of Nashville’s Vezina-nominated goalie, Pekka Rinne, and made waves earlier this summer by signing former Jets forward (and Kane’s ex-teammate) Tim Stapleton.