Los Angeles Kings

Pete Weber on Alex Faust; Is Evander Kane Worth It?
June 5, 2017, 8:08 PM ET [25 Comments]
Sheng Peng
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Pete Weber, Nashville Predators radio play-by-play voice, was Bob Miller's partner from 1978-81. I asked him about LA hiring Alex Faust:

HockeyBuzz: What are your thoughts on the Kings hiring Alex Faust?

Pete Weber: From what I've seen of him...and I've caught more than a few of his college hockey telecasts. I think he is very much like a young Bob Miller. I'm not going to talk about his storytelling abilities yet because that I'm not sure. But I think he has the same goal Bob already had -- and that was, to get the call out before the fans started to cheer. To be that much on top of it. I think he's quite capable of that.

HB: He seems to have some of Bob's understated eloquence.

PW: Absolutely, he does. Not an easy thing to find. Particularly in this era.

I'm always amazed by the guys who have that who did not come up through radio.

***

It's just a coincidence, but I was struck by the fact that between Nashville-Pittsburgh's players, there aren't any former Kings. Last season, San Jose featured Martin Jones, and the year before, Tampa Bay leaned on former LA first-round pick Brian Boyle.

That's not to say there aren't a ton of Kings' connections in the Finals -- besides the aforementioned Weber, Stu Grimson does TV color for the Predators. Paul Fenton, who played in Los Angeles from 1987-89, is Nashville's assistant general manager. Rob Cowie, who played in LA from 1994-96, is a Preds' scout, as is Nick Beverley, who was the Kings' general manager during the 1993 Finals.

The Penguins have former Kings even more prominently placed within their organization. General Manager Jim Rutherford was between the pipes for a handful of games in Forum blue and gold from 1980-82, while Assistant Coach Rick Tocchet was acquired from Pittsburgh for Luc Robitaille in the summer of 1994.

***

When it comes to sexual assault and domestic violence, it's important for me to say that I tend to believe the accusers.

This brings us to Evander Kane, who's been linked with the Kings recently. Last March, Kane was cleared of sexual assault allegations. In response, the accuser filed a civil suit against Kane in July. Kane was said to have countersued in September. According to Mike Harrington of The Buffalo News, this case is still pending. The accuser's original allegations are detailed here.

This wasn't Kane's only case in court last season. Last July, he was accused of "grabbing three women by the hair and neck in separate encounters on the same night in a downtown Buffalo bar." He also allegedly tussled with the bar's bouncer. In October, a local judge dismissed the charges. The state's prosecutor concluded that Kane's behavior was "arrogant, boorish and surly, but not criminal."

In the end, it's not for me to judge Kane's guilt or innocence in any of these cases. There's also the chance that he could be clear of all these charges, both legally and morally.

On the surface, trading for a 25-year-old goal scorer who's signed to a reasonable contract is a no-brainer. From December on, Kane's 28 goals ranked 10th in the league. Elliotte Friedman noted recently that at his best, “Kane as a player is a guy who can make a difference. He’s a great forechecker. He can score."

Of course, why would any team be so eager to give up on such a talented player? This leads us back to Kane's checkered past.

Going past his past for just a moment, there are also some concerns about Kane on the ice and in the locker room. An NHL scout I spoke with called him flat-out lazy at both ends of the ice at times. Last season, Ontario Reign head coach Mike Stothers, who was Atlanta's assistant coach during Kane's sophomore year, told me:

"He's got all the talent and ability in the world. He does everything. He skates. He shoots. He's tough. But it always seems to be that there's something surrounding him. So hopefully in time, he'll grow up and become a good teammate.

"Soon as he learns to become a good teammate, I think the world's going to be his oyster." (Jewels from the Crown)


From Rob Blake's vantage point, it's tempting to buy low on a supreme talent, doubly so considering LA's cap situation.

But is it worth it?

While my opinion ultimately doesn't matter, I'd say no. Kane has been cleared of everything so far, but that's still a disturbing amount of smoke, to say the least.