Evander Kane says he has been traded from the Oilers to the Canucks
VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Evander Kane says he has been traded from the Edmonton Oilers to the Vancouver Canucks.
Kane posted a lengthy message on social media thanking the Oilers and saying he was looking forward to the next chapter of his NHL career in his hometown in British Columbia. Agent Dan Milstein confirmed the trade had been agreed to between the teams.
The terms of the deal involving the soon-to-be-34-year-old winger were not immediately clear.
Kane returned early in the playoffs after missing the entire regular season following multiple surgeries to repair a series of injuries and had six goals and six assists on Edmonton's second consecutive run to the Stanley Cup Final. He took six minor penalties and led all players with 32 penalty minutes in the series loss to Florida.
'To my teammates — thank you for the battles, the friendships, and the memories,' Kane posted. 'I'll always remember the playoff runs, the highs and lows, and the pride of going to war with a special group of guys.'
Vancouver will be the fifth organization and sixth city for Kane, who was drafted by Atlanta, followed that franchise to Winnipeg and also has played for Buffalo and San Jose. He played at the junior level for the Western Hockey League's Vancouver Giants.
'It's an honor to become part of an organization and team I grew up watching as a kid,' Kane said. 'Vancouver is a city that lives and breathes hockey, I'm looking forward to the opportunity to play in front of my hometown.'
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New York Times
an hour ago
- New York Times
Oilers trading Evander Kane was expected. It's their next move that truly matters
Trading Evander Kane was always the most likely and logical outcome for the Edmonton Oilers. Though they'll miss the combination of Kane's scoring and power-forward abilities, the pros of no longer having him on the roster or his cap hit on the books outweigh the cons. That there was a market — even a limited one, thanks to Kane's partial no-trade clause — to ditch his entire $5.125 million cap hit on the last year of his contract meant the Oilers had to capitalize. Advertisement They're expected to have a built-in, cheaper and younger replacement at the ready once Trent Frederic re-signs — albeit someone without the same track record for offence. Kane turns 34 in August, whereas Frederic is 27. There's little downside here. Getting a fourth-round pick from Vancouver isn't much, but it's not unexpected since Dallas got a third and fourth from Seattle for Mason Marchment last week. Marchment makes $625,000 less than Kane with the same one-year term on his deal and is nearly four years younger. Most importantly, the Oilers accomplished something they needed to do. Clearing money will help in their attempts to upgrade the goaltending position, re-sign No. 1 blueliner Evan Bouchard and fill out the rest of the roster. But moving out Kane is only the first domino to fall in the offseason makeover for the Oilers. And it's how the next one drops that'll truly determine what they can accomplish this summer — and how much better they'll be by the time next season starts. The Oilers now have a little more than $17 million in cap space, per PuckPedia, but that's before Frederic's new contract hits the books. Punting Kane and retaining Frederic will net the Oilers no more than $1.5 million in savings on the cap. That's the cost of bringing back Corey Perry — if that comes to pass — or adding another bottom-six player. It's adding a little more to the coffers — the Oilers should be in the $13.2 million to $13.5 million range — but there's still a lot to be done. Even if Bouchard signs for a lower AAV on a four-year contract, as colleague Pierre LeBrun reported might be the play, the team's top defenceman will easily consume more than half of the remaining cap space. Any cost of bringing in a new goaltender would be whittled down a bit by removing either Stuart Skinner's $2.6 million cap hit or Calvin Pickard's $1 million salary. But the Oilers are going to have to take on more money to upgrade between the pipes. Advertisement That'll leave precious little left to round out the roster, whether that's finding a depth right-handed centreman and bringing back Perry and/or Connor Brown. Really, it's how GM Stan Bowman handles what seems like an inevitable Viktor Arvidsson exit that'll likely determine if the Oilers can get another intriguing middle-six, or even top-six, forward. Arvidsson and pending UFA Jeff Skinner were the team's two biggest signings on last July 1, and neither winger panned out as planned. Both were scratched during the playoffs, including in the Stanley Cup Final. It's Arvidsson, however, who has another year on his $4 million AAV contract. He also has a no-movement clause, which limits his market. Arvidsson was openly displeased to be held out of the lineup during the postseason, so there's a belief that a trade can be facilitated. He can dictate the terms of any trade, though, thanks to his contract status. The 32-year-old had 15 goals and 27 goals in 67 games while getting ample time next to Hart Trophy runner-up Leon Draisaitl. He had two goals and seven points in 15 postseason contests. The Oilers are not expected to use a buyout on Arvidsson. As with Kane, not retaining any money to deal him is more important than whatever paltry return they're bound to receive. Clearing $4 million allows management to gain some flexibility to truly change the roster. Kane started that process, but Arvidsson could kick it into overdrive.
USA Today
2 hours ago
- USA Today
Edmonton Oilers trade Evander Kane to Vancouver Canucks
The Edmonton Oilers traded veteran forward Evander Kane to his hometown Vancouver Canucks on June 25. In exchange for Kane, 33, the Oilers received a fourth-round pick (117th overall) in this weekend's NHL draft. Multiple outlets reported the Canucks will absorb Kane's $5.125 million cap hit for 2025-26, the final season of his four-year, $20.5 million contract. "Evander is a physical power forward who will add some much-needed size and toughness to our group," Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin said. "We like the way he wins puck battles along the boards and handles himself in the dirty areas in front of the net. Evander moves well around the ice and has proven to be a productive goal scorer in the National Hockey League. We are excited to bring him back home to Vancouver and our staff looks forward to working with him this coming season." Before both teams officially announced the deal, Kane broke the news during the morning on social media. As my time with the @EdmontonOilers has now come to a close, I want to take a moment to sincerely thank the entire organization, my teammates, and the incredible community of the Oilers Ownership, front office, coaching staff, and trainers—thank you for believing in… "As my time with the Edmonton Oilers has now come to a close, I want to take a moment to sincerely thank the entire organization, my teammates, and the incredible community of Edmonton," Kane wrote on X. "To the Oilers Ownership,front office, coaching staff, and trainers -- thank you for believing in me and giving me the opportunity to be a part of such a respected and passionate franchise. Your support meant everything, and I'll always be grateful for the chance to compete in the blue and orange. To my teammates -- thank you for the battles, the friendships, and the memories. "I'll always remember the playoff runs, the highs and lows, and the pride of going to war with a special group of guys. To the fans -- thank you for embracing me and showing unwavering support throughout my time in Edmonton. Rogers Place was always electric, and I'm proud to have played in front of such a passionate hockey city. My family and I have built some incredible relationships that will last forever. "With that said, I'm incredibly excited for the next chapter of my career as I join the Canucks. It's an honor to become part of an organization and team I grew up watching as a kid. Vancouver is a city that lives and breathes hockey, I'm looking forward to the opportunity to play in front of my hometown as I did many years ago as a Vancouver Giant. With appreciation, Evander Kane." Kane recorded 12 points (six goals, six assists) in 21 playoff games before the Oilers fell to the Florida Panthers in six games in the Stanley Cup Final. He sat out the entire regular season while recovering from multiple surgeries. He had surgery on Sept. 20 to repair two torn hip adductor muscles, two hernias and two torn lower abdominal muscles. He also had arthroscopic kneesurgery on Jan. 9. Kane has totaled 617 points (326 goals, 291 assists) in 930 career regular-season games with the Atlanta/Winnipeg franchise (2009-15), Buffalo Sabres (2015-18), San Jose Sharks (2018-21) and Oilers. He was selected by theThrashers with the fourth overall pick of the 2009 NHL Draft.
New York Times
3 hours ago
- New York Times
Why the Canucks rolled the dice on Evander Kane, and what comes next
This is a complicated one. The Vancouver Canucks were desperate for some scoring punch up front, for functional size at the top of their lineup and for a player with some experience and understanding of what it takes to win in the NHL. Evander Kane meets that criteria to a T, even at 33 and coming off a campaign in which he missed the entire regular season following abdominal surgeries in September and a knee scope in January. Advertisement This is a player the Canucks view as an exceedingly rare type. A legitimate scoring threat with the mean streak and weight to bump and grind and stand up for his teammates. That latter aspect of Kane's game is something Vancouver felt it sorely lacked last season. This was a roster that just wasn't nearly big enough or heavy enough in the organization's estimation, especially following the J.T. Miller trade. It was a skill set the club was willing to roll the dice on. Kane is the definition of a dice roll, although the organization itself doesn't quite view it that way. The Canucks feel that they've done their homework on the player and the person, and know him to be a popular teammate with the sort of on-ice presence the organization couldn't do without. They view the one year of term remaining on his contract as a significant factor that manages their risk. Much of the fan base, of course, might feel differently for legitimate reasons that we'll get into at length later on in this piece. In any event, this is a player that the Canucks valued, and spent the past week jockeying to land. There was real competition for his services. And it was Kane himself who put his finger on the scale and picked Vancouver. Kane's preference effectively allowed the Canucks to land him for somewhat less than some other teams were offering on the trade market, according to a team source. Don't underestimate how much Kane's desire to be in Vancouver mattered to the organization in executing this trade. The Canucks are finding themselves on a lot of no-trade lists, and on July 1, they will likely not be among the more desirable destinations for the top free agents, either. Canucks management wants to get back to building up momentum, and attempting to build a team of players that legitimately want to be in Vancouver — with all that it entails. And Kane wanted to play in Vancouver. Advertisement Injured throughout the regular season, Kane returned in the playoffs and was a solid contributor for the Edmonton Oilers, scoring six goals and 12 points in 21 games. It should be noted that Kane came somewhat unglued from a discipline perspective at the pointy end of the Oilers' playoff run, especially in the Stanley Cup Final, where he took seven minor penalties, five of them in the offensive zone. Trading a fourth-round pick — the one the Canucks acquired from Edmonton for Vasily Podkolzin last summer — for a bona fide, top-six NHL power forward on an expiring contract who can still impact games in multiple ways and who steered his way to Vancouver superficially seems like a straightforward, sensible, low-risk bet from a hockey perspective. Context, however, matters significantly. And the context of this deal will make it a much more difficult transaction for Canucks fans to swallow. Kane, after all, returns to his hometown with a fair bit of baggage accumulated over a lengthy career that's been shrouded in controversy. This is a player who, and this occurred in Vancouver, effectively skipped a game following an incident with teammate Dustin Byfuglien in 2015, leading to his exit from the Winnipeg Jets. While with the San Jose Sharks, he was suspended for using a fake vaccine card during one of the pandemic-abbreviated seasons. Kane has also been sued by a Vegas casino after walking out on a half-million-dollar gambling debt. He was accused of assault by a Buffalo woman in a case that was settled in 2022. He has spent years navigating a highly publicized bankruptcy. And he has seen a messy divorce spiral out in the public eye, with his ex-wife accusing him of wagering on NHL games and also seeking a restraining order against him after alleging physical abuse (NHL investigations into both accusations ruled that the claims against Kane couldn't be substantiated). Advertisement 'It's an honor to become part of an organization and team I grew up watching as a kid,' read Kane's post on X announcing the trade. 'Vancouver is a city that lives and breathes hockey, I'm looking forward to the opportunity to play in front of my hometown as I did many years ago as a Vancouver Giant.' Of course, because it's Kane and seemingly nothing can ever be simple, he's already being criticized for potentially using ChatGPT to draft the statement. Beyond Kane's many off-ice incidents throughout his long and largely productive NHL career, there's the hockey business context of this deal to consider. Kane might turn out to be a better hockey fit for the Canucks than most anticipate, but this trade is an absolute gift to the cap-strapped Oilers. The Canucks have effectively paid modestly to let a division rival get out of a $5.125 million cap commitment to a player that the Oilers were clearly keen to move on from. That might just be the market in the cap growth era, where even inconvenient commitments are baseline marketable via trade, but executing this deal is still a primary assist to the best team in Vancouver's own division. Put it all together, and this is a fascinating deal. The Canucks view it as a low-risk, buy-low deal to acquire a physical top-six forward with a rare profile. Externally, however, the trade has been widely received as a Hail Mary throw in which Vancouver is buying low on a mid-30s power forward with significant character questions. Adding Kane into what already felt like a pretty volatile locker room situation does feel like a massive gamble, especially given the uncertainty hanging over this roster and the way this team tore itself apart over the course of a dysfunctional 2024-25 campaign. Kane is an experienced player and gamer who clearly knows what it takes to win playing heavy hockey at the toughest time of year, and that's something the Canucks needed. He doesn't, however, fit the bill of a high character leader that can be trusted to help the Canucks navigate the evident internal and cultural issues that have plagued this team behind the scenes. Advertisement Presumably, Kane, who is entering a contract year, will be on his best behaviour with one year left on his deal. That's what the Canucks are counting on, anyway. It seems totally fair, however, to question the off-ice fit for this team at this moment. Now that the Canucks have landed Kane, our attention turns to what comes next as the draft approaches. In the wake of the Kane deal, Vancouver still has some salary-cap flexibility, with somewhere in the range of $7 million or so in cap space remaining with which to upgrade its forward group. That space is earmarked for a top-six centre, and the Canucks will be aggressively looking to acquire a player that matches that description before the NHL Draft. They're motivated to sell the No. 15 pick in the draft to land that piece and are actively trying to do so, although they're prepared to make the selection if the right deal doesn't present itself. The Canucks could look to create more cap space if the right fit shakes loose on the trade market. Teddy Blueger and Dakota Joshua aren't players that Vancouver wants to move on from, but they're among the established veterans with mid-range salaries that Canucks fans should be keeping their eye on as potential salary make weights if the opportunity to do something bigger this week arises. In the background, there are other priorities that the club is still engaged on. The Canucks will try to extend Thatcher Demko and Conor Garland, who become extension-eligible on July 1. They've already had preliminary conversations with Calder Cup playoff hero Sammy Blais on an NHL contract for next season. Vancouver's hockey operations leadership, however, is dead set on landing a meaningful upgrade down the middle. As the draft approaches and the dust from the Kane deal settles, that's the primary preoccupation for the Canucks.
