The Edmonton Oilers found themselves dealing with a scary moment on Tuesday when Evander Kane suffered a freak incident with a deep cut on his wrist. He was stabilized and taken to the hospital. Word is he will be OK, but Kane will likely have surgery on his wrist and it’s not clear how long he’ll be out of action. He sent a message out to fans saying, “On the mend, thank you.”
Without information about how long Kane will be out, — Ilya Mikheyev suffered a similar injury and was out three months — the assumption is that he likely won’t be out for the rest of the reason. That potentially limits the Oilers’ ability to use LTIR to replace him on the trade market. So, what are the Oilers’ options? After all, it feels like Kane might be irreplaceable based on how productive and effective he’s been since his arrival.
Update: The Oilers have announced that Kane will be out for 3-4 months.
Is LTIR An Option?
Even if the Oilers don’t make a big trade, Daniel Nugent-Bowman of The Athletic writes that LTIR is an option. He explains:
“The Oilers could open much-needed cap space by putting Kane and his $5.125 million cap hit on long-term injured reserve. That would allow them to recall up to three bodies from AHL Bakersfield to make a 20-man roster whole at the maximum of 23.”
source – ‘Oilers’ Evander Kane hospitalized after skate blade cuts his arm: ‘We were all scared for him’ – Daniel Nugent-Bowman – The Athletic – 11/09/2022
In other words, the Oilers might use LTIR but not in the way most fans see teams using LTIR.
The initial reaction from fans is that a team that gets cap space due to LTIR might be to look around the NHL for an external solution. Technically because Kane is out for months, the Oilers could look at an external option and then try to make a move before the playoffs. That’s less likely than simply correcting the problem that is their shortened roster. Getting the roster back to full gives the Oilers solid options and flexibility in the event of other short-term injuries or on-ice struggles.
Big Opportunity To Call Up a Few Players
Tom Gazzola Of TSN 1260 writes, “Glad to hear Evander Kane will be ok. Depending on the severity of Kane’s injury and the length of time he misses, the Oilers are likely to call up multiple players. Wouldn’t be surprised to see Klim Kostin as one of them.” Gazzola mentions call-ups and among those the Oilers might lean on are Mattias Janmark, Brad Malone, Tyler Benson, and others. The Oilers did announce that both Kostin and Janmark have been called up.
Nugent-Bowman notes, “It’s worth noting that Tyler Benson, who’s on the road trip and has been practicing with the team since last week, is said to be close to being activated off LTIR from a knee injury. He requires waivers to be sent to the minors. Benson had a strong training camp and partial pre-season before suffering his injury.
The Oilers may be hesitant to put him on waivers because another team might claim him. Instead, expect him to get an opportunity in Edmonton. If Benson clears waivers and eventually joins the Oilers roster, he could come in and play a role in the team’s top nine. His success allows the coach to move pieces around and find the right fit in the top six.
Use Existing Options on the Roster
Teams often say the loss of a player creates opportunities for others to step up. There are candidates on the Oilers’ current roster that will be given an opportunity to step in a secure a top-six role in Kane’s absence. Among those that will get the first look are Dylan Holloway and Warren Foegele.
Foegele might be one of the players to really watch here. He stepped up on Tuesday and scored his first goal of the season. Head coach Jay Woodcroft played him in the final minutes of a close game and said of Foegele’s penalty-killing ability. “He has all the attributes of a good penalty killer. He’s long. He’s a good skater. He’s buoyed by the opportunity.” He added, “Warren Foegele showed me something tonight.”
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The Oilers may not find someone to step in the way Kane did and instantly find chemistry with Connor McDavid. That doesn’t mean a player can’t step up and in playing with the best player in the world, produce. Can Holloway use his speed to fit on the top line? He hasn’t moved past the bottom six, but this might be the chance he needs. Can Foegele use Tuesday’s game as a platform to up his production? Woodcroft seems to think so.
