As the calendar flips to March this weekend, Evander Kane will have to submit a 16-team Approved Trade List to the Edmonton Oilers. The winger had a full no-movement clause for the first two-and-a-half years of his contract but that’ll change on Saturday.

Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman speculated in his 32 Thoughts column on Friday that Kane could be aiming to make his 2024-25 debut during the regular season so that he can have time to warm up before the playoffs in the spring.

The change in Kane’s no-trade protection is notable because his status could have a significant impact on how the Oilers approach the trade deadline, which is one week away on March 7.

As it stands, the Oilers have $5,163,894 cap space, according to Puck Pedia. If Kane is cleared to return to play before the end of the regular season on April 16, the team would need to have that cap room available to activate him and his $5,125,000 cap hit to the active roster. If Kane isn’t able to return until the playoffs or later, the Oilers would be able to keep him on the Long-Term Injured Reserve through the end of the season, giving them a bonus pool that matches the injured player’s cap hit.

Given how the Oilers have looked during their current five-game losing streak, inserting Kane’s physical play and scoring ability into the lineup would likely help bring alive a stagnant offence. That said, the bruising winger is coming off multiple surgeries, including operations on both hips, so there’s no guarantee if he’ll be the same player when he returns.

The Oilers are hoping for an update about Kane’s timeline this weekend so that they can examine their options ahead of next week’s deadline. If doctors indicate that he’s able to return in March or early April, the front office will have to decide if Kane is going to be the team’s major addition or if they’ll trade him to open up the space to make a splash elsewhere.