The Edmonton Oilers hit a home run with the Evander Kane trade to the Vancouver Canucks. News of the deal broke on Wednesday morning, detailing how the Oilers sent Kane to Vancouver for a fourth-round pick.
On the surface, the deal seems like a fleecing on the part of the Canucks. Vancouver gets a solid middle-six player for a price slightly above a bag of pucks and a set of goalie pads. But the reality is that the Canucks helped out the Oilers big time.
Kane was unfortunately injured all of last season, dealing with a sports hernia issue. If you’ve ever dealt with anything like that, it’s a painful injury to recover from. Plus, it never really goes away. There’s always the chance you can reaggravate it at any time.
Pardon, my digression. I make that point because Kane is a wild card. He missed all of this past season and showed mixed results during the playoffs. He was a gritty player. There’s no question about it. But his offensive performance wasn’t quite what the Oilers needed.
As for the return, the fourth-round pick is hardly commensurate with what Kane would be worth if he were healthy and productive. But the Oilers took it as the Canucks were willing to take Kane’s $5.125 million cap hit.
The Oilers needed to clear cap space. Kane wasn’t part of the plan moving forward. The Canucks needed a forward. The Oilers got something back other than “future considerations.”
How is this not a home run for the Oilers?
Most importantly, the Edmonton Oilers now have $17 million in cap space, allowing them to focus on re-signing Evan Bouchard this offseason. While there’s always the risk of an offer sheet, the Oilers will hope to nip that situation in the bud.
Overall, the Oilers dumped the last year of Kane’s contract without resorting to a buyout.
Edmonton Oilers also helped Vancouver Canucks
This deal wasn’t one-sided. The Canucks didn’t just take Kane’s contract off the Oilers’ hands out of the goodness of their hearts. The deal also helps Vancouver as Kane will likely replace Brock Boeser.
Boeser is expected to leave this offseason. That’s why adding Kane makes sense. If Kane returns to form, the Canucks can expect 20 to 30 goals from Kane. A 30-goal season would be something spectacular.
Plus, Kane is in the final year of his contract. That situation means that if things don’t work out, the Canucks won’t have Kane’s contract weighing them down. If things do work out, the two sides will figure something out moving forward.
As for what the Canucks paid, a fourth-rounder really is no skin off Vancouver’s bones. The club will get by just fine without it.
The Canucks didn’t quite hit a home run with this trade, but they certainly came out of top. They didn’t pay a lower-round pick, nor did they sacrifice a prospect or roster player.
Lastly, Kane is excited to join the Canucks. He’s from Vancouver, so it’s a homecoming for the 33-year-old.
This trade is one of those rare occasions where everyone comes out ahead.