The Curious Case Of Evander Kane

What does that mean for Evander Kane and this upcoming campaign?

The reality is that Kane is an Oiler and is expected to return by September 22nd of this season. The goal (as far as we know) from both parties meaning him and his agent (Dan Milstein) and the Oilers front office is to have him in the lineup opening night against the Winnipeg Jets. Ryan Rishaug of TSN reported during the free agent window opening that he had confirmed management had not asked him to waive his NMC. Moreover, assuming he is healthy and ready to go I do believe having him in the top nine is actually the optimal look for the Oilers.

We know that in his first season, he had much more of a tendency to shoot the puck and he is damn good at it. Our sense is that injuries have hindered his ability and confidence which if true has translated into less shots and therefore less offence. Yet despite that, in 77 games played he still managed 24 goals meaning he's tough enough to battle some insane injuries and still produce the 4th most goals on the best offensive team in the NHL while not playing on the top powerplay unit.

This is not to guarantee that he either continue this pace or he can recreate the magic from his first season with the team, but the Oilers best bet right now is to get him healthy and bet on it happening to both optimize their top nine forward group while boosting his trade value if that's the route they so choose to eventually take.

Kane also brings an element to the lineup that championship teams need. Whether we like it or not the sport is still violent and he has shown his entire career that if opponents want to drag the game into the alley he's more than willing to accept that challenge. He sticks up for his teammates and hockey players want that in their room. It sounds caveman-esque to some and I understand, but it's just the way it is.

On a more tactical level, he's also an effective F1 on the forecheck because of his willingness to play the body to separate players from pucks in order to establish the forecheck. This is something many players in Edmonton's lineup don't do or at least not to his level (Holloway will as he becomes a more consistent player in the top 6) which would be greatly missed if he is lost to trade or ends up on LTIR. Speaking of that...

If rest and rehab don't cure his hip ailment, it could be that he requires surgery at which point he theoretically lands on LTIR obfuscating Jeff Jackson and whoever becomes the permanent GM of his cap hit, giving them some flexibility to either replace his roster spot internally or on the open market. This to me is the second most realistic outcome in this situation.

They could also opt to use that hypothetical cap space to make an addition or upgrade on the blueline which remains in my eyes the biggest need. If we project Holloway and Broberg's deals to come in at a combined AAV of 2.5 million to be safe, that would be an estimated savings of $2,270,833 that could be spent elsewhere. And this again is merely an estimate as the contract situation for the two young RFA's remains unknown.

The player on the ice is a warrior, who has endured a myriad of significant injuries and punishment and can still offer you value as a power forward. It also appears to me that Kane isn't likely to be out of the Oilers lineup unless it is on LTIR, and so any discussion to the contrary is fruitless unless news comes that he's been asked to waive the no move clause. Which he has every right no to do.