Evander Kane, Oilers Agree to 4-year, $5.125M AAV Contract amid 2022 NHL Free Agency

Despite speculation that he could have a complicated free-agent process, Evander Kane is going back to the Edmonton Oilers.

Kane tweeted Wednesday he is re-signing with the Oilers on a four-year deal worth $5.125 million per season:

The Athletic noted Tuesday that Kane could have "one of the more complicated free-agent" pursuits in recent memory because of how things ended with the San Jose Sharks.

The Sharks terminated the remainder Kane's contract in January after he was found to have violated AHL COVID-19 protocols while playing for the San Jose Barracuda.

Per ESPN's Emily Kaplan, Kane's violation stemmed from traveling to his home in Vancouver while he was in COVID protocol in December.

That came after Kane was suspended for 21 games early in the season "for an established violation of, and lack of compliance with, the NHL/NHLPA COVID-19 protocol." A.J. Perez of Front Office Sports reported the 30-year-old submitted a fake vaccination card to the league.

The NHL previously investigated Kane amid allegations from his ex-wife that he bet on games. He told ESPN's Linda Cohn on an episode of Outside the Lines that he did have a gambling problem, but he never bet on hockey games that he played in.

The league announced in September that it found no evidence Kane bet on games or attempted to negatively influence games he played in.

On the same day of that announcement, the NHL opened an investigation against Kane into allegations of sexual assault and domestic battery from his estranged wife, Anna Kane.

Evander Kane was previously granted a restraining order against Anna after saying she punched him in the face multiple times.

When the NHL announced Kane's 21-game suspension in October, it also noted its investigation into Anna's allegations could not be substantiated. Evander and Anna dropped their domestic violence restraining orders against each other on Oct. 26 and agreed to maintain a "respectful distance from one another."

After the Sharks terminated Kane's contract, the NHL Players Association filed a grievance on his behalf. According to The Athletic report, a resolution to the grievance isn't expected to come until after free agency begins.

Dan Milstein, Kane's agent, told The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun on Monday they were hopeful of reaching an extension with Edmonton but also received permission to speak with other clubs.

The Oilers signed Kane to a one-year deal on Jan. 27. He played well for the club, registering 39 points (22 goals, 17 assists) in 43 games to help Edmonton make the postseason.

During the Oilers' run to the Western Conference Final, Kane racked up 17 points in 15 games. He had five multigoal games in the playoffs, including two hat tricks in wins over the Calgary Flames and Los Angeles Kings.