As the Edmonton Oilers have struggled to a 2-4-1 start to their 2024-25 season, they’ve done so without the likes of one of their most potent goalscorers in recent years, Evander Kane.
The bruising winger has been at home recovering from a significant surgery in which he has two sports hernias and four muscle tears repaired in late September. Reports at the time suggested a timeline that would stretch past the March 7th trade deadline, but according to broadcaster Kevin Weekes, that may have been bumped up.
In a tweet Thursday, Weekes said Kane was “on track for his return to the Edmonton Oilers lineup from his injuries/surgery etc for early 2025.”
One could still consider March to be “early” 2025, given it’s only the third month of the season, but Weekes wording will undoubtedly bring speculation about if Kane can lace up the skates sooner. The Oilers placed Kane on the long-term injured reserve ahead of the season, giving them his $5.125-million in LTIR pool space, which would allow the club to exceed the NHL’s $88-million salary cap by that amount.
In placing Kane on the LTIR, the Oilers were able to do so with some cap gymnastics that allowed them to stay under the aforementioned cap, meaning they’re able to accrue up to roughly $4.5-million in cap space ahead of the trade deadline. If Kane were to remain on the reserve until the start of the playoffs, Edmonton could have $9-million or more in cap space to play with.
And given the salary cap is removed when the playoffs start, the Oilers would be able to activate Kane, and have any other players acquired via trade on the roster, too.
Kane signed a one-year deal to join the Oilers in January 2022 after his contract was terminated by the San Jose Sharks, scoring 22 goals and 39 points in 43 games down the stretch run of that season. He added a baker’s dozen goals, and four assists in 15 playoffs games that year.
The Oilers signed him to a four-year, $5.125-million AAV deal that summer. In 161 games with the team across three seasons, he’s scored 49 goals and 111 points.
Edmonton’s season rolls along without him Friday night, as Connor McDavid and the Oilers host Sidney Crosby’s Pittsburgh Penguins.
Zach Laing is the Nation Network’s news director and senior columnist, making up one-half of the DFO DFS Report. He can be followed on Twitter at @zjlaing, or reached by email at zach@thenationnetwork.com.
