Report: Oilers Forward to Undergo Surgery

NHL insider Elliotte Friedman provided an injury update on Edmonton Oilers' forward Evander Kane.

May 16, 2024; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Edmonton Oilers forward Evander Kane (91) skates in warm up prior to game five of the second round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-USA TODAY Sports / Bob Frid-USA TODAY Sports

The Edmonton Oilers are the focal point of the NHL in many ways. Fresh off a Stanley Cup Finals loss against the Florida Panthers, they are one of the favorites to win the championship next season with a majority of the same lineup returning.

They're in the spotlight again with two of their restricted free agents, Philp Broberg and Dylan Holloway, agreeing to qualifying offers with the St. Louis Blues. The Oilers now have less than a week to decide if they will match the offers or accept the draft pick compensation from the Blues. If they match both deals, the team would be $7 million over the salary cap limit for the upcoming season, meaning they'd have to make several moves to become cap compliant.

One move that will help their salary cap situation regardless is the current injury situation of forward Evander Kane. The offseason has been filled with planning and conversations between the Oilers and Kane, who is recovering from multiple injuries. NHL insider Elliotte Friedman provided an update on his 32 Thoughts Podcast, indicating that Kane is opting for surgery and could miss a significant amount of time. He expounded on his beliefs further in the podcast.

"I think that one of the reasons it's kind of taken until this long is because I think there were some conversations about who is going to do it," he said. "They had to decide who was gonna do it and then when was this doctor available? I believe that that decision has been made. Eventually, he will have the surgery and he's gonna be out months and I'm not talking like one or two months. I think it's gonna be longer than that."

If Friedman's insights are correct, the Oilers will be without one of their top-six forwards for at least the first few months of the season. If that's the case, they will likely opt to put Kane on the Long-Term Injured Reserve (LTIR). While they'd be without Kane's services, it would be a convenient blessing in disguise for the cap-strapped Oilers, affording them $5.25 million in salary cap space.

The Oilers haven't confirmed a course of action or treatment plan for Kane yet, but there is sure to be an announcement on that soon. The team has just a few more days to decide on the contract offers tendered to their restricted free agents and Kane's injury update is the key to what decision the Oilers will make.

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