The Edmonton Oilers set a record for the longest winning streak by a Canadian team in NHL history with their 13th straight win over the Calgary Flames on Jan. 20 and with so many things going so smoothly, there aren’t many noticeable flaws. Yet, the winning streak has led to differing opinions among Oilers’ fans about Evander Kane over the last couple of weeks — some have been hard on him because of his lack of production and that his recent promotion to the second line wasn’t warranted, while others argue he deserves a shot because naturally, he’s a top-six calibre player.
Kane has dealt with injuries this season, and for the first part of the Oilers’ 13-game winning streak, his minutes decreased when he was pulled from the top six as forward Ryan McLeod was elevated on Dec. 12 against the New York Rangers. McLeod found success on the second line with Warren Foegele and Leon Draisaitl, but unfortunately, an illness forced him to miss the Jan. 13 game against the Montreal Canadiens, leading to Kane’s return to the top six.
Related: Oilers Grades at The Halfway Mark: Top-Six Forwards
Kane’s played in his usual top-six spot over the last few games, and he initially seemed out of sync, but he’s gradually found his footing. Moreover, in a post-game interview after recording his 600th career point in the win over the Seattle Kraken on Jan. 18, TSN’s Ryan Rishaug asked the rugged forward about what was working with his line with Foegele and Draisaitl and Kane simply responded with, “Just getting an opportunity.”
It’s a simple statement, yet it caused a stir among the Oilers’ faithful and also hockey analysts because they felt his focus on personal opportunity instead of the team was indicative of self-centered behaviour. Yet, early signs are showing that he’s capitalizing on his rejuvenated opportunity on the second line and is set for a promising second half of the season if he stays on track.
Oilers’ Analyst Had Criticism for Kane’s Remarks
Rishaug spoke more about Kane’s “opportunity” response after the game against the Kraken on the “Got Yer Back” Podcast and former NHL player turned hockey analyst Rob Brown expressed displeasure about it, offering a perspective as if he were in his Oilers’ teammates’ shoes:
“What I wouldn’t like about it as a teammate is he’s saying ‘well, I was playing with these two slugs here and I was getting 14, 15 minutes a night, but now I’m finally getting an opportunity.’ So, what you’re saying is that guys that you had before didn’t give you an opportunity? I don’t like that, this is not the first — there’s about four or five times this year that he’s said something in comments, after games.
Now, it’s true, playing with Leon has a better opportunity for offensive output than playing with Janmark and Ryan. But, if I’m Janmark and Ryan and I see that comment, I’m not happy, I’m not and especially when your team has just won 12 straight. So, no, I think that was inappropriate, true, but inappropriate.”
– Rob Brown
Despite its simplicity, Kane’s brief statement, “Just getting an opportunity,” managed to create a buzz and like Brown mentioned, there’s a possibility that if his teammates, Derek Ryan and Mattias Janmark, perceive it as a slight against them, there’s a chance it might influence Oilers’ locker room dynamics down the line. Given that faint possibility, Kane might find it more advantageous to center his interviews around the team, and not him, moving forward.
Nevertheless, there’s some validity to his statement, to be fair. There’s no denying that the potential to thrive alongside a former Hart Trophy winner in Draisaitl is significantly higher than consistently playing with players accustomed to bottom-six roles.
On a different note, one perspective stemming from Brown’s remark is that it opens the door to the idea that Kane’s comment might paint him as a poor teammate; however, to counter that idea, it’s worth mentioning that Kane stuck up for his teammate, Ryan, back on Oct. 24 in a game against the Minnesota Wild when Ryan was on the receiving end of a heavy hit. Kane came to the aid of his teammate when he challenged and fought Brandon Duhaime.
Kane Appears to Be Regaining His Form
That said, Kane has stepped up his game and he seems to be finding his rhythm since returning to the top six on Jan. 13 and he’s recorded three assists in the four games in that span. Moreover, the second line of him, Foegele and Draisaitl have outshot the opposition 33 to 17 at 5-on-5 and outscored the competition 3-0.
Additionally, in the game against the Flames on Jan. 21, despite not registering any points, Kane was moving better around the ice for the first time since early December and set up linemate Foegele on two grade-A chances. He also looked like vintage Kane with a prime chance of his own, charging towards the net and unleashing a hard shot. The signs suggest a return to form for him, and despite a month and a half of struggle, he’s still on pace for almost 30 goals. Let’s also not forget, that he leads the team with 130 hits, almost 60 more than Darnell Nurse’s 70 and also ranks sixth in the entire league in that category.
Also, I feel it’s fair to give Kane a break for his month-and-a-half lull. One, he’s been dealing with injuries, and two, when the Oilers struggled out of the gates to start the season, especially when captain Connor McDavid was hurt, Kane was the forward who stepped up the most. He fought Winnipeg Jet Brendan Dillon on Oct. 21 and then tallied 15 points in the next ten games before injuries took their toll.
Still, the NHL is a very ‘what have you done for me lately’ type of league. While Kane may have faced criticism over the last month and a half due to a lowered point production, we might see a resurgence in praise for him in the coming months, especially if he starts scoring regularly again — which is all part of the ebbs and flows of playing in Oil Country.
Nonetheless, despite Brown having criticism for Kane, there was also praise directed at him, having said, “The Oilers are a better team when Evander Kane is playing well. They brought him in here to be a playoff hockey player.” Be that as it may, if you believe the Oilers are a force now, just imagine what they’ll look like if Kane hits his peak, especially in the postseason.
Do you feel Evander Kane stays on the second line for the remainder of the season? Have your say in the comments below!
