Evander Kane will miss significant time next season after surgery

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Liam McCormick
August 14, 2024 (10:40)

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Discouraging reports have surfaced surrounding Evander Kane's health this week, suggesting that he will miss significant time this year on LTIR.

NHL insider Elliotte Friedman is now reporting that Kane will miss several months after he undergoes surgery. Friedman mentioned on the 32 Thoughts Podcast that Kane will miss more than 1 or 2 months, but may not hold him out until the playoffs.

Evander Kane revealed just before the playoffs that he had been playing through a sports hernia for the majority of the year, then sustained multiple other minor injuries, including ah up injury which could be significant. It clearly caught up to him when Coach Knoblauch had to pull him from the lineup for a healthier player in the last games of the Cup Final. He seems to have done his best to rehab without surgery, but only the medical procedure will help him.

The Edmonton Oilers are already in an extremely tough position with the salary cap, and these new details of Kane's recovery actually don't help. If Kane was to miss the entirety of next season, his $5.125M salary could be stored on the LTIR, which would really help the team being $7M over the cap currently after the offer sheets to Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg.

The Oilers will still likely place Kane on LTIR at the beginning of the season, but it will only buy them so much time and not quite enough salary cap space. The reality of the offer sheet situation is that the Oilers will lose at least one roster player, and potentially multiple - it will all depend on how the organization values their two RFAs.

For both Evander Kane and the Oilers, it's extremely disappointing to hear that he will miss significant time next season. When he's at his best, he has been an electric power forward for the team, leading with his physical play and able to contribute offensively with 30 goals. Now 33 years old and dealing with significant injuries heading toward free agency, Kane's best days in the NHL may be behind him.

Source: Elliotte Friedman

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