It’s been one of the busiest summers in terms of personnel change for the Edmonton Oilers in recent memory, as they not only fired head coach Kris Knoblauch and assistant Mark Stuart, but also hired Mike Babcock and D.J. Smith as their replacements.
Oilers GM Stan Bowman also traded defenseman Darnell Nurse to the San Jose Sharks, while also acquiring goaltenders Devon Levi from the Buffalo Sabres along with Frederik Andersen from the Stanley Cup-winning Carolina Hurricanes.
And while Mathieu Joseph and Eduards Tralmaks were also signed, there is a report that links the Oilers back to a former star they signed to a multi-year contract worth $20.5 million.
The Edmonton Oilers Are Being Linked Back To Evander Kane
According to Oilers Insider David Staples, the Oilers need more grit and sandpaper in their lineup, and that’s where a player like Evander Kane could come in.
As Oilers fans remember, Kane was signed to a one-year contract by the Oilers in 2022 after he was let go by the San Jose Sharks; he later parlayed that into a four-year, $20.5 million contract.
“A lot of Oilers fans won’t like the notion of Edmonton almost trading for Zadorov, as they see the big Bruins d-man as a mediocre two-way player. I see Zadorov as the NHL’s most dominant intimidator, an apex predator, as Edmonton commentator Jason Strudwick called him in 2024,” wrote Staples.
“Who might give Zadorov a run for his money in this category? Washington’s Tom Wilson. Florida’s Radko Gudas. And maybe still Evander Kane, who is a free agent. And, I believe, the Oilers could dearly use that kind of player, so much so that I’m open to them now bringing back Kane to the team.”
Kane was traded by the Oilers to the Vancouver Canucks last offseason, ending his time with the Oilers. However, Staples would welcome a reunion with Kane to help bring some edge to the roster.
Evander Kane Was Traded By The Oilers To The Canucks
Following the trade to the Canucks by the Oilers, Kane said that while his preference was to remain with Edmonton, he’s happy that the Oilers were able to send him to a place that made sense for him.
“I would have loved to have stayed and finish my career here in Edmonton,” said Kane. “Me and my family, we have a lot of great memories here, on and off the ice. Obviously, I understand hockey is first and foremost a business and that people have to make business decisions, especially when there are salary-cap issues with teams. When you go to the finals back-to-back years, you probably have a pretty good team, and you have players making a lot of money. I think you saw that this summer with a ton of turnover. It’s going to be happening for others next year, with a lot of guys moving on.”
So far in his NHL career, Kane has appeared in 1,001 games and has scored 339 goals with 309 assists. He’s also added 32 goals and 23 assists in 97 career Stanley Cup Playoff games.
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