He will miss the beginning of the season with the Edmonton Oilers following surgery on multiple injuries he sustained last season.
On Wednesday, Kane revealed he underwent procedures to repair two torn hip adductor muscles, two hernias, and two torn lower abdominal muscles, all stemming from a sports hernia he played through last year.
“I felt something was off in late October, and it gradually worsened,” he explained. “By December or January, it was getting much worse. The tricky part is that some days feel better than others. By the time the playoffs came, it was significantly worse. I was trying my best to help my team win, which is why I kept playing.”
There’s no set timeline for his recovery. Oilers general manager Stan Bowman mentioned, “He’s going to be out for a while. I don’t want to speculate on the timeline; our doctors will provide more clarity later.”
Last season, Kane recorded 44 points (24 goals, 20 assists) in 77 regular-season games and added eight points (four goals, four assists) in 20 playoff games. He missed the last five games of the playoffs due to injury, as the Oilers reached Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final, losing to the Florida Panthers.
After the season, Kane evaluated his injuries and consulted various doctors and players with similar issues before deciding on surgery. “Everyone agreed we should take time off and see if things improved through rehab, but that didn’t happen,” he said. “Finding the right surgeon was crucial for me, as I wanted to ensure a proper fix for my injuries to continue my career.”
Kane is in the third year of a four-year, $20.5 million contract with the Oilers. Bowman stated that they won’t place Kane on long-term injured reserve unless necessary later in the season. To bolster their forward depth, the Oilers signed Viktor Arvidsson and Jeff Skinner as free agents on July 1.
Bowman added, “We have the cap space for Kane to remain on the regular roster. If we encounter multiple short-term injuries, we can consider placing him on long-term injured reserve, but we planned to avoid that situation.”
In addition to signing Arvidsson and Skinner, the Oilers chose not to match offer sheets for Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway, creating more salary cap space.
Kane, selected fourth overall in the 2009 NHL Draft, has accumulated 617 points (326 goals, 291 assists) in 930 regular-season games and 43 points (26 goals, 17 assists) in 76 playoff games across his career.
“I spoke with other players who faced similar injuries,” Kane shared. “Gathering different perspectives helped clarify the options for treatment. It was confusing at times, especially hearing varying opinions from top doctors. Conversations with players like Sean Monahan provided valuable insights based on his experience.”
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