According to Derek Van Diest of NHL.com, The 33 years old told reporters Wednesday that he needed to undergo procedures to repair two torn hip adductor muscles, two hernias and two torn lower abdominal muscles.
Oilers winger Evander Kane underwent surgery in New York City on Friday to repair two torn hip adductor muscles, two hernias, and two torn lower abdominal muscles, as announced last week. While there’s no definitive timeline for his recovery, he is not expected to return until at least January or February, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.
These injuries resulted from Kane playing through a sports hernia for much of last season, including the playoffs. Although they only caused him to miss 10 games in total during the regular and postseason, they significantly affected his performance. His averages of 0.31 goals and 0.57 points per game were the lowest since the 2015-16 season, and his playoff stats were particularly disappointing, with just four goals and eight points in 20 games, while averaging under 15 minutes of ice time. This was a stark contrast to his performance in the 2022 playoffs, where he averaged nearly 20 minutes per game and led the league with 13 postseason goals, despite the Oilers being eliminated in the Western Conference Final.
As expected, the Oilers will have the option to place Kane’s $5.125 million cap hit on long-term injured reserve, but it seems unlikely they will do so. A few weeks ago, it appeared necessary, but after not matching the offer sheets from the Blues for Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway and trading Cody Ceci and his $3.25 million cap hit to the Sharks, Edmonton is projected to be cap-compliant with a 22-player roster that includes Kane, per PuckPedia.
The Oilers could place Kane on standard injured reserve to open a roster spot if they wish. They enter the season with $945,833 in cap space, meaning any player they bring in to replace Kane must have a cap hit equal to or lower than that amount. Potential replacements include recent PTO signee Mike Hoffman and minor league players James Hamblin and Raphael Lavoie.
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