Oilers winger Evander Kane had surgical procedure Friday in New York Metropolis to restore two torn hip adductor muscular tissues, two hernias, and two torn decrease belly muscular tissues, as indicated last week. There’s no agency timeline for his return, however he gained’t be again within the lineup till January or February on the earliest, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports.
All these accidents stemmed from Kane enjoying by way of a sports activities hernia for a lot of final season, together with the playoffs. They didn’t restrict his availability an excessive amount of, costing him simply 10 video games mixed over the course of the common season and postseason.
They did considerably hamper his effectiveness, although. Kane’s 0.31 targets per recreation and 0.57 factors per recreation had been his worst charges because the 2015-16 season. He was particularly diminished within the playoffs, posting 4 targets and eight factors in 20 video games whereas averaging beneath quarter-hour per evening. It was a far cry from his displaying simply two years in the past within the 2022 playoffs, the place he averaged practically 20 minutes per recreation for the Oilers and led the league in postseason targets with 13 regardless of Edmonton being eradicated within the Western Convention Remaining by the Avalanche.
Now, as anticipated, the Oilers may have the chance to put Kane’s $5.125M cap hit on long-term injured reserve. Nevertheless, it’s unlikely they may. It was considered as a possible necessity just a few weeks in the past, however after opting to not match the supply sheets the Blues tendered for Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway and buying and selling Cody Ceci and his $3.25M cap hit to the Sharks, Edmonton tasks to be totally cap-compliant with a 22-player roster that features Kane, per PuckPedia.
The Oilers can place Kane on customary IR to unlock a roster spot in the event that they so select. They enter the season with $945,833 in house, so the participant they’re including to the roster to interchange Kane might want to have a cap hit equal to or decrease than that quantity. Potential candidates embrace current PTO signee Mike Hoffman and minor-leaguers James Hamblin and Raphael Lavoie.
