On the ice, there is plenty to like about Evander Kane. Though streaky, he is an excellent goal scorer, and he adds an element of toughness that is rare to find in players with his skill set. Both his goal-scoring and physical abilities have been beneficial to the Edmonton Oilers, though there have been some hiccups in 2023-24.
Related: Oilers’ Loss to Flames Exposes 2 Major Deadline Needs
On at least two occasions, Kane has gone public about his frustration with a lack of ice time. While players always want to play more, it is something few go public with, especially when playing on a team with Stanley Cup aspirations like the Oilers have. It appears that there have been more issues than what the public has picked up on, as well, as one of the team’s biggest insiders is now reporting that a rift is growing within the dressing room.
Rob Brown Discusses Kane’s Frustrations
Rob Brown, who serves as an Oilers analyst on 630CHED, is also a part of the Got Yer Back podcast with TSN’s Ryan Rishaug and former NHLer Jason Strudwick. The three had some great topics of discussion on an episode that aired Sunday, with the most interesting part being about Kane. According to Brown, some issues have been arising as of late.
“We’ve seen that Kane hasn’t been happy when he’s been on the third line,” Brown said. “He’s talked about it and he’s demonstrated it. I don’t think there’s chemistry between him and Leon [Draisaitl] right now. There was a very animated conversation two games ago between Kane and Leon on the bench. All of a sudden, next game they weren’t playing together.
“It’s funny, I listened to the postgame and [Kris] Knoblauch talked about some frustration and some negativity has creeped in. The team’s not playing as well, but it’s creeped in to their dressing room and into their bench. Because of the stress their under right now, there’s a lot more question marks today than there was three weeks ago. A lot more question marks with the Oilers.”
While this all could simply be frustration, given how the team was struggling prior to last night’s win over the L.A. Kings, there is reason to be concerned given the player involved here. Kane has had a reputation for wearing out his welcome in the past. In fact, it has been reported on numerous occasions that he had done so in all three of his prior NHL stops, which were the Winnipeg Jets, Buffalo Sabres, and San Jose Sharks.
Kane’s time with the Sharks ended particularly ugly, as he was assigned to the San Jose Barracuda of the American Hockey League (AHL) before having his contract terminated due to failing to comply with COVID-19 league policies. Before the termination, the locker room was said to have soured on him completely.
Not What the Oilers Need
As both Draisaitl and Connor McDavid continue to move towards the end of their contracts, the pressure is rising for the Oilers in their quest to win a Stanley Cup. On paper, they have the talent to do so and are being favoured by many this season. That said if there is indeed a rift growing in the room, that could greatly decrease their chances of accomplishing that goal.
Related: Oilers & Penguins Emerging as Potential Trade Partners
As Brown mentioned, Kane hasn’t particularly shown great chemistry with Draisaitl, which has resulted in both Knoblauch and former head coach Jay Woodcroft placing him on the third line at times. For some players, that wouldn’t be a major issue, but the 32-year-old has publicly displayed his frustration when it comes to being in that role. In order to win a Stanley Cup, everyone needs to be bought into a team-first mentality, and based on this report, along with some of his public comments, it seems that Kane may not be entirely bought into a team-first approach right now.
