The Edmonton Oilers could find themselves in an interesting predicament late in the season. After a slow start, they’ve gotten back on track over the last month and have a rock-solid 21-11-2 record to show for it. Their offensive game has found its form with guys like Zach Hyman and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins rediscovering their touch around the net, while Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are continuing to dominate.
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All four of their lines have been playing quite well as of late, and, aside from adding a defenceman at or ahead of the trade deadline, this entire lineup looks like one ready to make another run to the Stanley Cup Final. That is what will make the pending situation with Evander Kane so interesting to watch unfold.
Kane Getting Healthier
Prior to the 2024-25 season kicking off, the Oilers announced that Kane would be out long-term after undergoing a number of procedures, including one to repair a sports hernia which he battled throughout the 2023-24 campaign.
Kane isn’t ready to return yet. In fact, he is still expected to be out for a while, as Oilers insider Bob Stauffer recently said he isn’t expected back until March. Regardless of the exact timeline, he is expected to be fully healthy and ready to go ahead of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but whether or not that is good news for the Oilers remains to be seen.
When at his best, Kane is a major difference-maker. He provides the Oilers with an element that they don’t currently have, as he’s as physical as they come, and isn’t afraid to drop the gloves when the moment calls for it. He can also put up goals in bunches, even managing 24 a season ago despite being banged up.
On the other side of the coin, you have a player who, whether fairly or not, has a reputation as somewhat of a disrupter in dressing rooms. He wore out his welcome with the Winnipeg Jets, Buffalo Sabres, and San Jose Sharks before joining the Oilers. Things in Edmonton started out great, similar to his time with the other mentioned organizations.
Many believed that Kane had matured and was over his well-noted antics of the past. That may very well be the case, though some concerns seemed to pop up at times last season. Nothing boiled over, though it may have been the start of what could soon turn into major issues.
Kane on more than one occasion made comments to the media about his ice time, or lack thereof. It caused a fair bit of a stir at the time, and calls into question what his attitude could be like upon returning to the lineup, especially if head coach Kris Knoblauch tries to ease him back in with reduced minutes after a long time away from the game.
Given how well this Oilers dressing room is gelling right now, adding a player who has rubbed his teammates wrong at times throughout his career could be a recipe for disaster. At the very least, based on how they have looked for some time now, he doesn’t seem to be all that needed in the lineup.
Based on their line combinations, the odd man out once Kane returns is Derek Ryan. He’s currently centering the fourth line, but they have several others, most notably Mattias Janmark, who could take over that role. A spot on the second line alongside Leon Draisaitl may make the most sense for Kane, but the Oilers seem to like Vasily Podkolzin in that spot. Disrupting lines for a team firing on all cylinders could result in things getting out of sync.
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It also remains to be seen what type of player Kane will be upon his return. His stellar career speaks for itself, but he’s now 33 years old and is coming off of some serious injuries. That, factored in with his long time off, could result in him struggling once he is given the go-ahead to play.
Oilers Banking on a Healthy Kane
The best thing the Oilers organization and its fan base can hope for is that Kane comes back extremely motivated. Many fans in Edmonton are divided on the player, with some believing his offensive output doesn’t make up for his shaky play without the puck. If he’s scoring at the pace he did in his first year as an Oiler, that won’t be an issue. If he struggles, however, it could wind up turning into more than just an on-ice issue, which would be a difficult blow for a team with serious Stanley Cup aspirations.
