Canucks are considering the unthinkable with Evander Kane!

Evander Kane has been on the trade block for months, but as the March 6 deadline inches closer, there’s little indication a deal is gaining traction. The Vancouver Canucks have made it clear they’re willing to move the veteran winger, even granting his agent permission to speak with other teams in an effort to facilitate a trade.

Vancouver is reportedly prepared to retain a portion of Kane’s $5.125 million cap hit to make him more appealing to contenders and is believed to be seeking at least a third-round pick in return. The possibility of a reunion with the Edmonton Oilers was briefly explored, but Oilers sources quickly shut that down.

The bigger issue? The market simply isn’t there.

As Thomas Drance recently put it: “Put simply, Kane has struggled, and the market to trade for his services on an expiring $5.15 million cap hit is virtually nonexistent. Meanwhile, the market for his services, even if 50 percent of his salary and cap hit is retained, is lukewarm.”

Drance even hinted at the idea of contract termination for Kane:

“If a motivated buyer for Kane doesn’t emerge between now and March 6, however, it would be silly to ignore that a contract termination could be a solution for all sides.”

Kane’s production hasn’t helped. Through 55 games, he has just nine goals and 25 points: numbers well below expectations for a power forward in a contract year. For contending teams looking to add scoring punch, that stat line doesn’t exactly scream deadline difference-maker.

With time running out, Vancouver may have to lower its asking price or risk carrying Kane through the remainder of the season without finding a trade partner.