When it comes to success for the Edmonton Oilers we all know they live and die with McDavid and Draisaitl, but one other player that can help move the tide of a series when he is on his game is Evander Kane. Kane's physical presence and aggressive gameplay can sometimes put opposing teams on their heels.
For the series against the Canucks I think Kane can have even more of an effect on the outcome of this series. If he can play physically and put a bit of fear in the the Canucks roster then that should open up some space for the rest of the Oilers roster.
While Evander Kane is dealing with his sports hernia, the break between round one and round two hopefully will have had the rest in this time and will be much closer to 100%. A 100% Evander Kane would be a great addition to the Oilers in the playoffs.
Kane Riding With Draisaitl
The fact that Kane has been bumped up to a line with Leon Draisaitl means that he will be getting much more ice time than he was getting when he was on the third line. With the bump in ice time, he will be able to make an even bigger difference in the series.
In the 5 game series against the Kings, Kane put up one goal a two assists. but he played a huge factor in game 3. In that game, he was able to get a Gordie Howe hat trick. That game was a turning point in the series and Kane was a massive part of that game. If he has a similar game in this series then the Oilers will win this series.
In my opinion, the Los Angeles Kings are a tougher team than the Vancouver Canucks, for sure with their skilled players. I think that the toughness of the players in the Oilers top 6 the Oilers are going to push around the Canucks. Lead the charge in this regard is going to be Evander Kane. If the Oilers do come out on top in this series, I know that Kane is going to be a big part of it.