McDavid open to Kane joining Oilers: 'Evander is an amazing player'

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid addressed rumors of Evander Kane joining the club on Wednesday.

Kane has been heavily linked to the team in recent days after becoming a free agent. He became eligible to sign with any club after his deal with the San Jose Sharks was terminated for breach of contract and violation of the AHL's COVID-19 protocol.

"Right now, it's all speculation," McDavid told reporters. "Obviously, Evander is an amazing player and he's had lots of success over the last couple of years. Whatever else is going on, it's not something I look into much."

Kane has been the subject of multiple NHL investigations over the past year. The league cleared him in one case after his wife, Anna, claimed Kane gambled on NHL games. Kane was later suspended 21 games for violating the NHL's COVID-19 protocol. He was also investigated for allegations he abused Anna, which the league stated "could not be substantiated."

"I’m not really here to discuss optics issues," said McDavid. "If fans don’t like it and media doesn’t like it, I think it is what it is. I think there are a lot of things that go on the ice and whatnot that fans don’t like and we don’t necessarily have to discuss that up here with you guys."

McDavid added: "I think Evander is a great player and can help us a lot on the ice and that’s first and foremost."

Oilers general manager Ken Holland confirmed Tuesday he's spoken to Kane's agent, but it appears unlikely Kane signs anytime soon. Teams were recently notified that the NHL is investigating Kane for crossing the U.S.-Canada border in December eight days after testing positive for COVID, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported.

Kane, 30, played five games for the AHL's San Jose Barracuda this season, notching eight points. He had a career year for the Sharks in 2020-21, registering a team-leading 49 points across 56 contests.