Oilers gauging market for Evander Kane
Sitting right up against the salary cap, it’ll take some clever manoeuvring should the Edmonton Oilers wish to add ahead of the trade deadline and push for the Cup.
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Sitting right up against the salary cap, it’ll take some clever manoeuvring should the Edmonton Oilers wish to add ahead of the trade deadline in their push for the Stanley Cup.
One of the ways they can clear cap room would be to trade Evander Kane.
The team is currently gauging the market to see if there’s a potential suitor for Kane and his $5.125 million cap hit, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported in the latest edition of Saturday Headlines on Hockey Night in Canada.
The forward is on the books through the 2025-26 season after putting pen to paper on a four-year, $20.5 million contract ahead of the 2022-23 season in a deal that included a no-trade clause at one point.
However, an options finally opened up should the Oilers wish to move on.
“Last night, Evander Kane’s no-trade protection evaporated — he no longer has a full no-trade clause, he has a partial one,” Friedman said. “His situation is that the Oilers are going through those teams, and they’re trying to see what the market could be for him.”
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Kane is currently on the long-term injured reserve after undergoing knee surgery in January. He has yet to suit up for the Oilers this season after undergoing abdominal surgery in the fall and missing the first chunk of the year.
The 33-year-old told reporters in January that the knee issue “popped up” a few weeks after his abdominal surgery, and it required something to be surgically removed. He added that there were no structural issues or repairs needed.
“Right now, the injury situation is still uncertain, we don’t have a timeline,” Friedman added. “But the Oilers are trying to see if there is a market for Kane, because if they do decide to go in that direction, they could open up more cap room for themselves.”
Kane has spent the last three seasons with the Oilers, tallying 62 goals and 49 assists for 111 points over 161 regular-season games. He has added 20 goals and 10 assists over 47 playoff outings.
The Vancouver native missed Game 7 of the Stanley Cup loss to the Florida Panthers as his abdominal injuries flared up through the playoffs.
Heading into Saturday, the Oilers sat second in the Pacific division with a 34-21-4 record and were riding a five-game skid — their worst of the season.
