Evander Kane, an Edmonton Oilers forward, is set to undergo sports hernia surgery soon.
He has been struggling with this issue since last season, playing through the pain until he couldn’t anymore. This injury caused him to miss crucial games in the Stanley Cup Final, where he only appeared in two of the last seven matches. Despite his efforts, his performance was affected.
Kane managed 24 goals and 20 assists over 77 games last season, but this was his lowest point-per-game pace in seven years. In the playoffs, he added four goals and four assists across 20 games, which also showed a decline from his usual stats.
Impact on Playing Time:
Kane’s average ice time dropped to a career-low of 16:47 per game during the regular season. This was even lower than his rookie year with the Atlanta Thrashers when he averaged just 14:00 per game back in 2009-10.
The full impact of Kane’s surgery won’t be known until it’s completed. Once recovery details are clear, the Oilers will have a better idea of how to handle their salary cap situation moving forward.
Fans might wonder if this will affect the team’s performance next season.
PuckPedia notes that Edmonton has $946K in cap space for the upcoming season, including Kane’s $5.125M cap hit. If Kane is sidelined for more than 24 days and misses over ten games, Edmonton can place him on LTIR (Long-Term Injured Reserve). However, they must keep space available for his return during the regular season.
What do you think about this situation?
