Last Friday, Edmonton Oilers forward Evander Kane underwent surgery in New York. The surgery was deemed successful. The forward is likely to be out of action until January or February.
Kane Undergoes Surgery
Evander Kane had his surgery Friday in NYC. No exact timeline for recovery, but not expected to be available until January/February.
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) September 22, 2024
Kane battled various injuries last season. However, he still managed a successful 77 games and scored 24 goals. The injuries caught up to Kane in the Stanley Cup Final, where he missed five of the seven games.
What This Means for Kane
Since joining the Oilers in the 2021-22 season, Kane has been a top-five player on the team. Kane has played a big role in the Oilers recent playoff success. In three postseasons with Kane, the Oilers have reached the Western Conference Final twice and the Stanley Cup Final once. The fact that Kane has continually played through injuries show how much he wants to help the team win.
At 33-years old, Kane is approaching the downhill slope of his career. However, he has been a consistent 20-goal scorer. It will be interesting to see how he performs when he returns to the lineup. Will there be some rust he has to get rid of? Or will he pick up where he left off?
What This Means for the Oilers
Newly-named general manager Stan Bowman has said the Oilers are unlikely to put Kane on long-term injured reserve. If they did, Kane’s salary would not count against the team’s salary cap, but he also would not be able to return until the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Bowman not placing Kane on LTIR indicates they expect him to return by the January-February time frame. In addition, Kane returning would give him about two-three months to shake off any rust. It seems Bowman has weighed the opportunity cost of the situation and has determined having Kane in the regular season is worth having the cap hit still on the books.
This is understandable as Kane is a difference maker in the lineup. The Oilers will once again be in the division race and will want “all hands on deck” to give themselves the best chance to win.
Next Man Up
Until Kane is able to return, the Oilers will need someone else to step up. This is a great chance for a player to make an impression in the league. The Oilers could also seek help from outside the organization. However, with Kane’s salary still counting against the cap, that seems to be less likely, but not impossible. In addition, just because the team has not placed Kane on LTIR yet, does not mean they will not down the road.
Main Photo: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
