Evander Kane had surgery on Friday to fix multiple injuries.
He had two torn hip adductor muscles, two hernias, and two torn lower abdominal muscles. These injuries came from playing through a sports hernia last season, including the playoffs. Even though he missed only 10 games, his performance was heavily affected.
Kane’s goal and point rates were the worst since the 2015-16 season. In the playoffs, he managed just four goals and eight points in 20 games, averaging less than 15 minutes per game. This was a huge drop from his stellar performance in the 2022 playoffs when he led with 13 goals despite Edmonton’s elimination by the Avalanche .
Oilers’ Roster Moves:
Now that Kane is out until at least January or February, the Oilers can place his $5.125M cap hit on long-term injured reserve (LTIR). But they probably won’t do that. A few weeks ago, it seemed necessary but now they are expected to be cap-compliant with a 22-player roster that includes Kane.
Fans might think this is good news for Edmonton’s cap situation.
If needed, they can put Kane on standard IR to open up a roster spot. They have $945,833 in space for a replacement player with an equal or lower cap hit. Possible replacements include Mike Hoffman who recently signed a PTO (Professional Tryout), and minor-leaguers James Hamblin and Raphael Lavoie.
What do you think about these moves?
