Not long after his release from the San Jose Sharks, the Edmonton Oilers took a flyer on forward Evander Kane, and it paid off for them, as he proved to be a consistent offensive contributor.
As a reward for his strong play, the Oilers re-signed him to a multi-year contract extension, and he later helped them reach the Stanley Cup Final in consecutive seasons, though they unfortunately fell short both occasions to the Florida Panthers. Prior to the final year of his contract, the Oilers traded him to his hometown Vancouver Canucks, where he spent last season.
Kane is now an unrestricted free agent, and with the start of Training Camps across the NHL just over a month away, he remains unsigned. And according to a recent report, he could soon be on his way overseas to the KHL.
Former Edmonton Oilers Forward Evander Kane Could Be Heading To The KHL
Kane remains unsigned, and with his NHL chances dwindling, it looks as though he may have to continue his professional career overseas in the KHL, according to a recent report from Russian news outlet Sport-Express.
The outlet reported that Ak Bars Kazan is considering targeting him:
“Ak Bars is considering signing forward Evander Kane , Mikhail Zislis reported.
As the journalist noted, the Kazan club is carefully studying the candidacy of the 35-year-old Canadian forward, who is an unrestricted free agent.
Last season, the hockey player played for Vancouver and recorded 31 points (13 goals, 18 assists) with a minus-20 rating in 71 regular season NHL games. He earned $5.125 million per year under his previous contract.”
Kane entered the NHL after the Atlanta Thrashers selected him fourth overall in the 2009 NHL Draft. The franchise later relocated and became the Winnipeg Jets, who became one of many teams that Kane has suited up for during his career alongside the Buffalo Sabres and San Jose Sharks.
Across 1,001 regular-season NHL games, Kane has produced 339 goals and 309 assists while also racking up 1,278 penalty minutes. He has also appeared in 97 Stanley Cup Playoff contests, adding 32 goals, 23 assists, and racking up 248 penalty minutes.
Last Summer, The Oilers Traded Kane To The Vancouver Canucks
Last offseason, now-former Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin acquired Kane from the Oilers in exchange for a fourth-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft.
“I think every team is looking to be harder to play against and for us, with the group we have here, when a player like this comes available to the cost, we felt we have a chance to upgrade our top-nine, mid-six, and become a harder team to play against,” Allvin said after the deal went through. “Obviously, Evander, the way his contract was structured, he had a preferred 15 teams to go to, and Vancouver was his preferred destination.”
However, Kane’s first and only season with the Canucks didn’t go the way that either party wanted it to. Not only did Kane register only 31 points, but the Canucks were the worst overall club in the Western Conference, finishing nowhere close to a berth in the postseason.
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