So, with no Evander Kane until at least February, maybe March, and possibly not until the playoffs start in the third week of April because of his abdominal surgery repair, what will Edmonton Oilers miss most with his possibly season-long absence?
“We’ll miss Evander’s physicality, he keeps players on edge. There’s also his goals, scoring 30 in a season,” said Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch after the team released the news he’ll be out five to six months and he’ll be monitored by the team’s medical staff here after his surgery last Friday in New York.
Can they get by without Kane over 82 league games easier than through four rounds of post-season? They did sign Jeff Skinner to a one-year, $3 million free-agent deal as regular-season insurance, knowing Kane could be needing some major bodywork.
“Yeah, probably because of Evander’s physicality. Regular-season there’s fewer hits, a little more skating. You want your best players in the playoffs and ultimately he’s one of those best players,” said Knoblauch.
Kane had two sports hernias fixed, along with four muscle tears. He had 24 goals in regular-season in 77 games last season with his ailments starting to influence how he skated in December or January of last season. In the playoffs he dressed for the first 20 games with four goals and eight points, but was shut down for the last five of the Cup final against Florida and was seen pacing outside the Oilers dressing room in Florida in a team sweatsuit between periods of Game 7.
“It’s important that the doctors did very good work,” said Knoblauch.
“We hope it’s a fast recovery for Evander and he’s ready to join us sometime in the New Year. We have the cap room for when he is healthy and back and we can build our team so he’s ready for playoffs.”
Most likely Kane will start the season on the 23-man roster, even though he can’t play, to accrue cap space. He won’t go to long-term injury (LTIR) unless they get a run of injuries and have to call up players. It’s undetermined if they will carry 12 forwards or 13 to start the season. They have $946,000 in cap space, even with Kane’s $5.125 million salary.
If they go with 13, it appears the battle is between farmhands James Hamblin, Lane Pederson or Raphael Lavoie for that 13th spot with Matthew Savoie, their brightest young prospect, almost surely starting in Bakersfield.
MAKING AN IMPRESSION
Coach’s mantra to farmhands and prospects in exhibition season: “Be noticeable.”
More so in a good way than a bad, of course, but vanilla doesn’t work for players trying to impress the guy behind the bench. Rocky Road tends to get the coach’s attention a lot more, like putting some licks on opposing guys.
Case in point: Connor Clattenburg. The sixth-round OHL draft pick winger is raw and was predictably sent back to his OHL junior team in Flint Tuesday along with fellow juniors William Nicholl, Dylan Wakely and goalie Nathan Day, but Clattenburg skates well and was very visible on just about every shift of Oilers 6-3 loss to Calgary Monday.
He plays the game in ill-humour, something Oilers need in their organization.
“There’s a lot to like about Connor, from when I first saw him in Penticton (at the Young Stars tournament). He got involved there, wanted to be noticed every shift,” said Oi Knoblauch. “He never passes up an opportunity to finish a check, and his puck skills are pretty good especially for a guy who runs around and expends a lot of energy doing that.”
“For a sixth-rounder he’s a very good investment. He’s got a future in the NHL. Obviously he’ll be returning to junior at some point to work on his game but I’m really optimistic about where he’s going to be,” said Knoblauch.
Clattenburg started last season with Soo Greyhounds but was traded to Flint. “He knows what he is,” said Oilers chief scout Bob Green, inferring it’s easier for him to make transition to the pros than for a goal-scorer.
“I think he could be captain there (Flint) this season.”
BEST FEET AND HJANDS FORWARD
Lavoie’s path to making the Oilers remains tricky because he’s an offensive winger on an offensive team, a power-play shooter on one of the best power-play teams ever, with a set five-man unit. But Lavoie is doing his utmost to win over the people who make the roster decisions with a shot that is above NHL average, an ability to find spots to shoot and feet which seem a little quicker than at last year’s camp.
Give Lavoie, who was going to play in Winnipeg Wednesday but has a minor lower-body issue, props. He improved on his first good game against the Jets here Sunday with seven shots Monday. He was dangerous, robbed by Flames’ expected farm-team starter Devin Cooley countless times.
“We want him involved. He could have had a couple of goals. He’s a young guy, skates well, he’s a big body, brings a physical element. That’s what our team needs,” said Knoblauch.
All true, but where does Lavoie play? Hopefully, his injury issue is minor because he can’t afford to miss exhibition games. If he can’t make the team out of camp because it’s too crowded, maybe the best thing for Lavoie, who isn’t waiver exempt and turns 24 Wednesday, isn’t more time in Bakersfield where he has 95 points over his last 127 games. Maybe the Oilers do him a favour, give him a chance to play somewhere else.
Maybe they try to trade him for a mid-round draft pick as the Canucks did with their waiver-eligible winger Podkolzin, moving him here for a fourth-round pick.
This ‘n that: Knoblauch turned 46 Tuesday. He’s the third-youngest NHL coach behind San Jose’s Ryan Warsofsky, 36, and New Jersey’s Sheldon Keefe (44) … Tryout winger Mike Hoffman, who has played two exhibitions, wasn’t with the primary NHL practice group Tuesday but Knoblauch said he would get three or four pre-season looks … Oilers second power-play unit in practice Tuesday had three forwards — Skinner, Viktor Arvidsson and Corey Perry — with two D, Darnell Nurse and Mattias Ekholm. Knoblauch says it’s incumbent to get some of his secondary offensive guys more PP work … Interesting that Podkolzin, who hasn’t done much NHL penalty killing, got some work with Derek Ryan in practice. Both figure to be on the fourth-line to start the season … Mark Messier, who does a nice job as an ESPN studio commentator, will have a contributor role on Prime Video’s new Monday-night NHL games this season, featuring Canadian teams. The Oilers are four times — on Nov. 4 at home vs. New Jersey, Nov. 18 in Montreal, Dec. 18 at home vs. Florida in Stanley Cup rematch and April 14 at home against Los Angeles … Former Bakersfield centre and NHL role player Greg McKegg is off to Mlada Bolesav in the top Czech league.