The Edmonton Oilers have re-signed free agent Evander Kane to a four-year $20.5 million contract. The contract has an AAV of $5.125 million and carries through the 2025-26 season. Kane spent the majority of the 2021-2022 season with the Edmonton Oilers, recording 39 points in 43 games with a +25.
Hearing Evander Kane has re-signed in EDM
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) July 13, 2022
Evander Kane Re-Signs
Evander Kane has decided to re-sign in Edmonton after the Oilers took a chance on him last year. It worked out well for both sides as Kane was able to find his game and provide the Oilers with some much-needed scoring depth. Kane proved his worth in the postseason as well. He scored 13 goals and 17 points during the Oilers run to the Western Conference Finals. Kane joined the Oilers last year after he was released from the San Jose Sharks during the season in the face of other off-ice issues.
Kane comes with risk, however. Despite his talent for scoring goals, Kane’s career has been marred by off-ice issues that have kept him from staying in one place too long. In 2016 he was charged with assault and harassment charges in Winnipeg. He also clashed with teammates and coaches which led to his trade out of Winnipeg. In 2019 he was sued by The Cosmopolitan Casino and Resort in Las Vegas for unpaid gambling debts. In 2021 he filed for bankruptcy. Also in 2021, Kane was accused of domestic assault by his then-wife. She also alleges that Kane had gambled on NHL games. Finally, Kane received a 21-game suspension after violating the NHL COVID protocols.
Kane was drafted fourth overall by the Atlanta Thrashers/Winnipeg Jets in 2009. He has played for the Buffalo Sabres, Sharks and Oilers during his NHL career. In 812 games he has scored 286 goals and 545 points.
What This Means
On the ice, Kane has proven his ability to score goals. In 43 games with Edmonton last year he scored 22 goals and 39 points. He provided the scoring depth the team has been looking for to support Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. So the Oilers are glad to get that back in their room. On top of his scoring prowess, Kane plays with a physical edge and isn’t afraid to drop the gloves. His on-ice aggression can lead to penalties but his goal-scoring tends to be worth the trade-off. While Kane was good for Edmonton in the regular season, he was pivotal in the playoffs. His 13 goals lead the Oilers and were tied for the most in the entire post-season.
On the ice, Kane seems to have found a home in Edmonton, but this would not be the first time things seemed to have settled for Kane. As always the things that seem to derail Kane are off the ice. He still has the domestic violence allegations, divorce proceedings and a custody battle to deal with back in California. While there are still clouds of controversy hanging above Kane, the Oilers felt it was worth the risk, for now.
ICYMI – Evander Kane announced on Twitter early Wednesday that he is staying with the Edmonton Oilers on a four-year, $20.5 million contract: https://t.co/A2cACUc6Ol#TSNHockey pic.twitter.com/A3NfWGXFZa
— TSN Hockey (@TSNHockey) July 13, 2022
