Lots of confusion about the health status of Evander Kane, with conflicting recent reports that the Edmonton Oilers winger would be ready to go for training camp in September followed by another that he was likely to undergo surgery.
The first report, of Kane’s readiness for camp, came from the 2 Mutts Hockey Podcast. Within hours, Bob Stauffer of Oilers Now had a very different outlook on Kane’s immediate future:
My Cult of Hockey colleague David Staples wrote twoposts in quick succession, summarizing both points of view in the second of them:
- Stauffer is the ultimate Oilers insider, so I put the highest level of credibility in what he reports. If Stauffer says this is the case, it’s likely what will transpire.
That said, things are murky around Evander Kane and the Oilers.
Stauffer’s comment directly contradicts information put out by the 2 Mutts podcast, who said they spoke with Kane. They reported on Sunday that: “Evander Kane will be ready for training camp, he will take part in the Captain Skates come early September. Going on LTIR isn’t the plan according to sources. Kane & his family have invested in staying in Edmonton over the next two years & beyond. The Ducks & Kings have interest in Kane but he’s not looking to waive his NMC at this time. He WANTS to be an Oiler!”
Today the disconnect seems to have been resolved, with a new tweet from the 2 Mutts Hockey Podcast seeming to confirm that surgery is in store for the power winger:
A couple of issues remain outstanding including, crucially, public confirmation from either the player or the hockey club that surgery is indeed in the cards. What also remains unclear is the nature of said surgery: Kane announced at the start of the playoffs that he’d been dealing with a sports hernia for much of the season. More recently, CEO of Hockey Operations Jeff Jackson suggested that the player had (also) been dogged by a hip issue.
Both would be considered core body issues, but recovery times would surely vary.
As suggested in the opening to this post, the Kane matter was already coming to a head this past weekend. That was before Tuesday’s shocking announcement that Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway were joint recipients of hostile offer sheets from St. Louis Blues that carry cap hits of $4.6 million and $2.3 million respectively. Just like that, an Oilers salary cap situation that was already under duress is now officially downgraded to “in distress”.
Kane has two more years to run on a contract that carries a $5.1 million cap hit. Should he be placed in Long Term Injured Reserve status it would go a long way towards alleviating the situation, but only for as long as Kane remained on LTIR.
Only if he is deemed unfit to play for the entire (regular) season would it be more than a band-aid solution to buy some time before still needing to clear payroll. Even if a season-long absence were to ultimately be the case, the Oilers would have just enough cap space for Broberg’s hefty new pact, and would still need to make another move to clear room for Holloway’s unexpected new figure.
It’s not so much a conundrum as a complex set of conundra nested together like a (highly-priced) Matryoshka doll. From the perspective of Jackson and his recent hire at GM, Stan Bowman:
- How long will Kane be eligible for LTIR?
- Is Broberg really worth $4.6 million or should we let him walk?
- Is Holloway really worth $2.3 million or should we let him walk?
- Do we want to concede defeat to Doug Armstrong, Peter Chiarelli and the dastardly Blues?
- How else can we clear some cap, and how tough will that be with everyone knowing we’re in distress?
- How can we clear cap in season in the scenario that Kane becomes healthy enough to play?
- How will (over)paying young players affect our “take a discount for the good of the team” negotiations with the likes of Leon Draisaitl and other proven stars?
- Who will be our “value contracts” in 2024-25?
The Oilers have not made a single roster move of any description since Bowman was announced as their GM back on Jul 24. Turns out his very first moves at the helm will have major, long-term consequences.
Recently at the Cult of Hockey
McCURDY: Blues hammer Oilers with dfouble offer sheets to Broberg, Holloway
STAPLES: “A kick in the head” — social media reacts to offer sheet news
STAPLES: Digging in to Oilers’ cap situation with Draisaitl extension looming
STAPLES: Intrigue over Evander Kane’s health status with Oilers
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