The Edmonton Oilers granted Evander Kane permission to talk to other teams, although the polarizing winger is apparently still holding out hope he will stay in Edmonton, Kane’s agent Dan Milstein told the press on Monday.
Oilers general manager Ken Holland told the media on multiple occasions since the conclusion of the Oilers’ playoff run that he would like to keep Kane on the roster, although keeping him in Edmonton while staying under the salary cap will be a challenge.
Kane joined the Oilers partway through the 2021-22 season after the San Jose Sharks terminated the remainder of his seven-year, $49 million contract, a very messy conclusion to Kane’s relationship with Team Teal. The Vancouver native was suspended at the start of the season for submitting a fake COVID-19 vaccination card, then was caught a second time in January violating the league’s COVID-19 protocols. The Sharks stayed quiet about the Kane debacle and kept him away from the rest of the team during his suspension. Kane was playing with the Sharks’ AHL affiliate, the Barracuda, when he got caught a second time for violating COVID protocol. He is currently in the midst of a contract grievance with his former team.
The 30-year-old forward seemingly fit in well with the Oilers and was a big contributor to the team turning its season around and getting into the Stanley Cup playoffs. Edmonton was swept by the Colorado Avalanche in the Western Conference Final.
Kane ended the season with 39 points (22 goals, 17 assists) and a plus-25. He scored 13 goals for the Oilers in the playoffs.
