The Edmonton Oilers were painfully close to winning a Stanley Cup in 2024. They have made their off-season moves and are looking to get back and lift the cup this season. Evander Kane was set to be a big part of that. After missing most of the Final with an injury, reports have surfaced about his condition.
‘Hearing there is a very good chance that the @EdmontonOilers Evander Kane won't be ready for the start of the season…that he may require surgery…and is likely to be on LTIR to start the year” Bob Stauffer of 630 CHED posted on social media.
Kane announced at the end of the regular season that he played with a sports hernia for the entire season. He powered through until Game Three of the Cup Final. He was benched after the Oilers went down 0-2 and they almost pulled off a phenomenal comeback but could not win the final game.
While he deserves credit for playing through the pain, he struggled to make an impact offensively during the playoffs. In the 20 games he played, Kane scored four goals and added four assists. That includes 0ne assist in the six games against the Dallas Stars and no points in his two Cup Final games.
Kane's scoring prowess is important to the Oilers. Despite their two superstar forwards, he leads the depth pieces that determine how far the Oilers can go in the playoffs. How will they replace his output to start the season?
Oilers must replace Evander Kane's offense
Before 2024, the Oilers had not made the Cup Final with Connor McDavid. The reason for that was a lack of depth scoring. They brought Evander Kane in, despite off-ice concerns, to score when McDavid and Leon Draisaitl were off the ice.
He has done that in his three seasons in Edmonton. In 161 games with the Oilers, he has scored 62 goals and added 49 assists. He has also been excellent in the playoffs when healthy. Kane led the team with 13 goals in 15 games on their 2021 run to the conference final.
With Kane out for the beginning of the season, they need to replace his scoring output on the forward unit. The Oilers started 2-9-1 in the 2023-24 season. They fired their coach and obviously, the rest went very well, but they do not want a repeat of that. That starts with Jeff Skinner.
After he was bought out by the Buffalo Sabres, Skinner signed a one-year deal with the Oilers. He was producing on offense but taking up way too much cap space in Buffalo and they decided to let him go. His original role was to replace Warren Foegele but now, his role has expanded.
They also added Viktor Arvidsson from the Los Angeles Kings this offseason. He will be a staple on the wing and can be a breakout star in Edmonton. He was injured for much of last year and should have fresh legs to play in an expanded role at the beginning of the season.
Usually, when a team loses a player of Kane's caliber, the power play comes into question. Fortunately for the Oilers, they have one of the best man-advantage units in the league because of McDavid and Draisaitl's excellence.
Without Evander Kane, new acquisitions Viktor Arvidsson and Jeff Skinner must step up to ensure the Oilers are in a good position when Kane does return.
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