Oilers' Evander Kane On The Road To Becoming A Trade Candidate

The Edmonton Oilers haven't gotten off to a strong start this season, but one noticeably bad performance has been from Evander Kane. Heading into the fifth game of the season, he will have been tried on each of the top three lines.

While he started his Oilers' tenure on a great note during the regular season and playoffs in 2021-22, it hasn't been the same since his injury. He came back and struggled last season, struggled in the playoffs, and has one assist in four games in 2023-24. He is 32 years old and has three years left on his deal that has a cap hit of $5.125 million AAV.

He might have been worth that last season since he was on pace for 32 goals and 56 points. That would've been his most productive season. The Oilers don't need him on the power play and the team has many options to use on the penalty kill that it wouldn't be a huge deal if he was taken off of that.

In comparison, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Zach Hyman are more productive, play in all situations, are signed long-term rather than just for a few more seasons, and have similar cap hits. I can see things heading in the right direction soon enough for the Oilers, but Kane has to really turn things around. Dylan Holloway is turning himself into a great top-six option in the very near future to replace Kane for cheaper, and the Oilers have to start thinking about extensions for their two elite centermen soon as well. If a forward being paid a decent amount of money is going to go, it's going to be Kane.