Early this morning, Oilers general manager Stan Bowman confirmed that 33-year-old will miss the start of the season as he recovers from surgery.
The veteran left wing had been dealing with a sports hernia for much of last season, which sidelined him during the final games of the Stanley Cup Final. He attempted to rehabilitate the injury over the offseason without surgery, but it’s now clear that he requires a procedure. According to reports from Tony Brar, Bowman has no timeline for Kane’s return.
Earlier reports from Mark Spector indicated that the Oilers’ medical staff will only be able to provide an estimate for Kane’s return after his surgery. Based on the recovery timeline for other NHL players who have undergone similar procedures, Kane is expected to be back by late December.
Kane has two years remaining on his contract at $5.125 million. When the Oilers signed two top-six forwards in free agency and faced salary cap constraints, it seemed possible that Kane might be traded to free up space. However, the team is now well under the salary cap, allowing Kane to rejoin whenever he’s healthy this season. Despite being frequently mentioned in trade rumors, Kane is moving into a custom-built home in Edmonton, suggesting he intends to put down roots.
Last season, Kane struggled with his injury and couldn’t showcase his typical explosive power forward style. Nevertheless, he still managed to score 24 goals and led the team in hits while playing through the pain. Fans are hopeful that when he returns, he’ll be the best version of himself that they’ve seen in some time.
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