<p>The hot topic around Oil Country the past few weeks revolves around a former Stanley Cup Champion. The Chicago Blackhawks are tearing the organization down to the studs, potentially resulting in Patrick Kane departing the team.</p>
<p>We all know the player that Kane is. He&#8217;s an elite scoring winger who would make any team better. Of course, Kane also comes with some off-the-ice baggage, which many of you mentioned in response to this week&#8217;s Nation Thoughts tweet.</p>
<p>On the ice, he&#8217;s one of the best and has proven that year after year. Kane has played over 1100 games in the NHL, all with Chicago, and has 1180 points and 430 goals. Last season, the former first overall pick hit the 90-point mark (92) for the first time since 2019. Kane did this on a Blackhawks team that didn&#8217;t have another player score at a point-per-game rate. Kane is now 33 years old with one year left on his contract at $10.5 million. A contract that almost every team in the NHL would struggle to acquire.</p>
<p>With those three things being considered, should the Edmonton Oilers acquire Patrick Kane?</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">I think we should keep bringing in offensive power and keep dumping defenseman to make it work</p>
<p>&mdash; Greg (@gslowsk) <a href="https://twitter.com/gslowsk/status/1562096759630794752?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 23, 2022</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">No.   <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Letsgooilers?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Letsgooilers</a> need to prioritize getting McLeod signed and strengthening the D core.   We already have one of the best top 6 in the league.  Kane is a luxury we don&#39;t need. At the moment we&#39;re an injury away from a Broberg/Niemo 3rd pair and I like both but it&#39;s not ideal</p>
<p>&mdash; Greg (is pissy) (@Genosys79) <a href="https://twitter.com/Genosys79/status/1562145424743567362?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 23, 2022</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">No,for two simple reasons<br />1- money? Where do we find any money for him when we’re already over cap &amp; needing to sign McLeod (which is more of a LONG TERM solution IMO)<br />2- we need to prioritize defence, we already have an explosive offence, so we need to worry about the back end</p>
<p>&mdash; kylietheintern (@kyliesalai) <a href="https://twitter.com/kyliesalai/status/1562138697448886272?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 23, 2022</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">No, I&#39;d prefer help on the back end. Ideally a top 4 LHD, push Kulak down to the 3 Rd pairing and it&#39;s either Paired with Barrie or Broberg</p>
<p>&mdash; Cameron Appelt (@Cam_YEG13) <a href="https://twitter.com/Cam_YEG13/status/1562097192419991553?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 23, 2022</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Oilers need a elite shut down defenseman first.</p>
<p>&mdash; Patrick Moss (@PatrickMoss77) <a href="https://twitter.com/PatrickMoss77/status/1562415427182944257?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 24, 2022</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>Many people in the comments spoke about the Oilers acquiring a new defender rather than trading for Kane. Those people aren&#8217;t wrong by any means. The Oilers blueline needs some serious help on the defensive side of things.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">I am way more neutral on it than I though I would be. If it happens, awesome. There will be some unbelievable, mind-blowing offense this year. If it doesn&#39;t happen, cool let&#39;s focus on strengthening the d.</p>
<p>&mdash; Jonathan Richardson (@jhrich95) <a href="https://twitter.com/jhrich95/status/1562167531330101250?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 23, 2022</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">I believe the price for the season will be too much. Maybe go after him at the deadline. Be cheaper</p>
<p>&mdash; Trevor Archibald (@Pudge_19) <a href="https://twitter.com/Pudge_19/status/1562096380885082112?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 23, 2022</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Yes because he would make the offence unstoppable .</p>
<p>&mdash; Jeremy McKain (@jeresells) <a href="https://twitter.com/jeresells/status/1562161545588617216?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 23, 2022</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Window is open now. Do it</p>
<p>&mdash; Getz (@GetzyNSports) <a href="https://twitter.com/GetzyNSports/status/1562206749712478209?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 23, 2022</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">&quot;Where there&#39;s smoke, there&#39;s fire!&quot; <a href="https://t.co/tsRvP3E3sj">pic.twitter.com/tsRvP3E3sj</a></p>
<p>&mdash; ARB 🍥 (@AdamBodnarchuk) <a href="https://twitter.com/AdamBodnarchuk/status/1562279843269644288?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 24, 2022</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">yea because they&#39;d win the cup 100%</p>
<p>&mdash; 🍺Oilers Legend™ (@OilersLegend) <a href="https://twitter.com/OilersLegend/status/1562144420400664578?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 23, 2022</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Yes, he’s the best US born player ever. 92 points on a horrible CHI team.</p>
<p>&mdash; Khalil Bertin (@BertinKhalil) <a href="https://twitter.com/BertinKhalil/status/1562094889826824193?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 23, 2022</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>Feel free to check out the rest of the comments on my <a href="https://twitter.com/LiamHorrobin/status/1562094082012327938">Twitter.</a></p>
<p>It was a reasonably even debate for this week&#8217;s Nation Thoughts, with the final decision split right down the middle. There are many pros and cons with Patrick Kane and what the Oilers look like with or without him.</p>
<p>There&#8217;s no denying the Oilers need another defenceman. Losing Duncan Keith is a more significant loss than people want to admit, and Ken Holland is yet to replace his 20 minutes a night. Adding Kane wouldn&#8217;t help stop the puck; however, maybe outscoring the opponent by two or three goals a night is the way Holland wants to go.</p>
<p>The acquisition cost is intriguing. Edmonton doesn&#8217;t have the cap space to add Kane for picks, so players with money value would have to return to Chicago. Could one of those players be Warren Foegele? He&#8217;s still a young promising player at 26 years old with a cap hit of $2.750 for two more years. By no means is Foegele enough, but he&#8217;s a way to add money to the deal. The rest would need to be retained by Chicago and possibly even a third team.</p>
<p>Holland will need to be creative if he wants to do this workout. Can he do that? Stay tuned for now.</p>
<p>I want the Oilers to acquire Kane. It won&#8217;t help the #1 need for a blueliner; however, the defenders in Edmonton are good enough to make them a top team in the Western Conference throughout the regular season. Then, when the trade deadline comes around, Holland can take a shot and get another defenseman as he did with Brett Kulak at the last deadline.</p>
<p>Plus, a team with Kane, Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl feels like something you&#8217;d see in a video game, not in the real NHL. When you add Evander Kane, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Zach Hyman to that group, who will outscore the Oilers?</p>


The hot topic around Oil Country the past few weeks revolves around a former Stanley Cup Champion. The Chicago Blackhawks are tearing the organization down to the studs, potentially resulting in Patrick Kane departing the team.

We all know the player that Kane is. He's an elite scoring winger who would make any team better. Of course, Kane also comes with some off-the-ice baggage, which many of you mentioned in response to this week's Nation Thoughts tweet.

On the ice, he's one of the best and has proven that year after year. Kane has played over 1100 games in the NHL, all with Chicago, and has 1180 points and 430 goals. Last season, the former first overall pick hit the 90-point mark (92) for the first time since 2019. Kane did this on a Blackhawks team that didn't have another player score at a point-per-game rate. Kane is now 33 years old with one year left on his contract at $10.5 million. A contract that almost every team in the NHL would struggle to acquire.

With those three things being considered, should the Edmonton Oilers acquire Patrick Kane?

https://twitter.com/gslowsk/status/1562096759630794752?s=20&amp;t=1hAbHRrPcp6PnLEGj6U8FA

https://twitter.com/Genosys79/status/1562145424743567362?s=20&amp;t=1hAbHRrPcp6PnLEGj6U8FA

https://twitter.com/kyliesalai/status/1562138697448886272?s=20&amp;t=1hAbHRrPcp6PnLEGj6U8FA

https://twitter.com/Cam_YEG13/status/1562097192419991553?s=20&amp;t=1hAbHRrPcp6PnLEGj6U8FA

https://twitter.com/PatrickMoss77/status/1562415427182944257?s=20&amp;t=1hAbHRrPcp6PnLEGj6U8FA

Many people in the comments spoke about the Oilers acquiring a new defender rather than trading for Kane. Those people aren't wrong by any means. The Oilers blueline needs some serious help on the defensive side of things.

https://twitter.com/jhrich95/status/1562167531330101250?s=20&amp;t=1hAbHRrPcp6PnLEGj6U8FA

https://twitter.com/Pudge_19/status/1562096380885082112?s=20&amp;t=1hAbHRrPcp6PnLEGj6U8FA

https://twitter.com/jeresells/status/1562161545588617216?s=20&amp;t=1hAbHRrPcp6PnLEGj6U8FA

https://twitter.com/GetzyNSports/status/1562206749712478209?s=20&amp;t=1hAbHRrPcp6PnLEGj6U8FA

https://twitter.com/AdamBodnarchuk/status/1562279843269644288?s=20&amp;t=1hAbHRrPcp6PnLEGj6U8FA

https://twitter.com/OilersLegend/status/1562144420400664578?s=20&amp;t=1hAbHRrPcp6PnLEGj6U8FA

https://twitter.com/BertinKhalil/status/1562094889826824193?s=20&amp;t=1hAbHRrPcp6PnLEGj6U8FA

Feel free to check out the rest of the comments on my <a href="https://twitter.com/LiamHorrobin/status/1562094082012327938">Twitter.</a>

It was a reasonably even debate for this week's Nation Thoughts, with the final decision split right down the middle. There are many pros and cons with Patrick Kane and what the Oilers look like with or without him.

There's no denying the Oilers need another defenceman. Losing Duncan Keith is a more significant loss than people want to admit, and Ken Holland is yet to replace his 20 minutes a night. Adding Kane wouldn't help stop the puck; however, maybe outscoring the opponent by two or three goals a night is the way Holland wants to go.

The acquisition cost is intriguing. Edmonton doesn't have the cap space to add Kane for picks, so players with money value would have to return to Chicago. Could one of those players be Warren Foegele? He's still a young promising player at 26 years old with a cap hit of $2.750 for two more years. By no means is Foegele enough, but he's a way to add money to the deal. The rest would need to be retained by Chicago and possibly even a third team.

Holland will need to be creative if he wants to do this workout. Can he do that? Stay tuned for now.

I want the Oilers to acquire Kane. It won't help the #1 need for a blueliner; however, the defenders in Edmonton are good enough to make them a top team in the Western Conference throughout the regular season. Then, when the trade deadline comes around, Holland can take a shot and get another defenseman as he did with Brett Kulak at the last deadline.

Plus, a team with Kane, Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl feels like something you'd see in a video game, not in the real NHL. When you add Evander Kane, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Zach Hyman to that group, who will outscore the Oilers?

Nation Thoughts: Should the Oilers Acquire Patrick Kane?

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