Edmonton Oilers trade Evander Kane to rival Vancouver Canucks
A key piece of the Edmonton Oilers Stanley Cup Final teams of the last two seasons is moving on.
Article content
'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 Edmonton,' Kane wrote, going on to thank the ownership group, his teammates and fans
Article content
Article content
Article content
Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli confirmed the Oilers will receive a 2025 fourth round pick (originally Ottawa's) in return for Kane, who missed the entire 2024-25 regular season due to injuries, but returned for Game 2 of the Western Conference quarterfinal series against Los Angeles and recorded six goals and six assists in 21 playoff games.
Article content
He said he's excited to join the Pacific Division rival.
Article content
'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,' he wrote.
Article content
Article content
Article content
Article content
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Vancouver Sun
2 hours ago
- Vancouver Sun
Canucks this week: What the rest of the NHL is saying about the Canucks ahead of the draft and free agency
The NHL draft starts on Friday but the Canucks aren't waiting … Evander Kane is now a Canuck and there is a lot of speculation about what other moves are coming. It's common knowledge that the Canucks biggest need is a centre. 'Let's just go with the simplest form of what the objective should be: Keep your captain happy. Find a way to keep Quinn Hughes happy at all costs,' said Frank Corrado on Sports Centre with Jay Onrait. TSN analyst Mike Johnson sums up the situation like this : ' (The Canucks) are a team that almost feels like they got to make something happen or they got to be good this off season because if it goes wrong, Quinn Hughes to his credit has sort of acknowledged 'I think I might want to go play with my brothers in Jersey unless you give me a reason not to.'' Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. In the same conversation O-Dog, former NHLer Jeff O'Neill, makes the analogy, 'If you're just going to go ahead and put skinny jeans on a monster – it's not going to work.' 'That's the Vancouver Canucks ,' chimed in Overdrive host Bryan Hayes. Granted that was before Evander Kane signed but let's hope he's wrong. Keep in mind two of our three leading goal scorers from last season — Brock Boeser and Pius Suter — are pending UFAs and expected to sign elsewhere July 1. Here's a round up of what the national pundits and saying: Jamie McLennan for TSN – 'He brings some attitude. He brings some irritability. He's very tough to play against … I'll call him a unicorn in the National Hockey League because there's only a few players that play like him. I think of a guy like Brady Tkachuk. I think of a guy like Tom Wilson. He's a top six forward who can skate, shoot, hit, fight, score do it all. He's a combination of everything. But in that package is a big personality. Is a guy who can grate on either other teams or on his own team. But he is a guy that can be a difference maker.' Elliotte Friedman on Sportsnet – 'This is the right time to do it if your Vancouver He's in his last year of his contract. He's going to be a highly motivated player, anytime you get a player who's playing for a new deal you think you are going to get the absolute best out of them on and off the ice.' Frank Seravalli on the Daily Faceoff when asked: What do you make of the Oilers able to get out of Kane's full cap hit? 'Pretty tidy work. It highlights just how good of a player Kane is. The fact the Oilers were able to get something in return at all from Vancouver indicates there were other teams that were involved in the mix. It was obviously a priority for the Oilers to clear out salary cap space. That was their thought process, that's still their thought process, with what's to come with Viktor Arvidsson. 'The fact he is trending towards being healthy for the first time in awhile, I think that stands out as important business for the Canucks. They're hoping to get a very motivated Evander Kane in a contract year that they can plug into their top-six, in an effort to find goals, which have been very hard to come by in Vancouver.' If you are the Vancouver Canucks and you have confidence in Kevin Lankinen and you know the Arturs Silovs is ready for the jump that may be the prime time to move a player like Thatcher Demko … I think he's still a great goaltender but considering the position that the Canucks are in right now that may be the best timing to go out there and get value for Demko.' Seravalli on the Daily Faceoff – 'Why would you head into this season if you are not extending Thatcher Demko with him as a pending UFA like goalies never get traded? You just going to let him walk for nothing? Asking a first round pick for Thatcher Demko even now with his health status doesn't make a lot of sense to me. They should change the ask and go with Lankinen and Silovs especially for a team that might not have super high expectations next year if they can't fill some of their other spots like the 2C that they are desperately trying to fill. I think the Canucks have a lot of questions to answer but in goal with three pretty solid goalies that's not one of them.' TSN analyst Travis Yost — 'Vancouver and Edmonton working out a trade for goaltender Thatcher Demko? I see both as extremely viable right now. 'I can't foresee any scenario where the Oilers run it back in net, but the options around the league still are few and far between. That said, a division rival in Vancouver may have the answer in Demko, a 29-year-old veteran with a proven track record of higher-end play. He also has struggled in recent years to stay healthy, which might be enough for the Canucks to consider moving on. 'Compare Demko to the likes of Skinner, or Gibson for that matter, and you can get a sense of how productive – if healthy – he could be manning Edmonton's crease.' Pierre LeBrun for The Athletic writes: 'The trade rumours won't go away until we are past July 1, but regarding Elias Pettersson , it's still my understanding that the Canucks don't plan on trading him — or at least that was the case as of Monday. 'As I said a few weeks ago, the Canucks are encouraged by Pettersson's approach this offseason. His full no-move kicks in July 1.' Thomas Drance for the Athletic – 'The Canucks will need to identify and acquire replacements and upgrades, as the potential departure of Boeser and Suter will fundamentally alter the depth chart. 'When you scan the options in unrestricted free agency, however, it's no surprise that Canucks hockey operations leadership intends to be aggressive on the trade market in seeking to find answers to their significant top-six forward questions. 'Vancouver has some meaningful cap flexibility going into this offseason, with just a hair over $12 million in available cap space to spend and a roster that's more or less filled out with NHL-level talent and only Aatu Räty to sign among key restricted free agents. 'The real cap problem that Vancouver is facing isn't an overall lack of space; it's a relative lack of space. There are several teams, including younger sides that finished close to where the Canucks did in the standings like Utah, Anaheim and Columbus, that will head into this summer with nearly $30 million or more in available cap space. 'Vancouver has the space to make significant changes, but it doesn't have the sort of purchasing power that other teams will be able to wield over the course of what promises to be a wild NHL offseason.' 'The Canucks first pick in the draft is No. 15 and ' It will be something of a surprise if the Canucks actually use their 2025 first-round pick, ' says Drance. 'There are players in this draft class that Vancouver is high on, but the short-term needs are pressing, and even though this draft class is widely viewed as below average from a depth of talent perspective, the pick could have some meaningful value as a trade chip.' In his off-season primer Drance writes: 'Seattle Thunderbirds centre Braeden Cootes is said to have piqued Vancouver's interest, according to reports from The Athletic and CHEK TV's Rick Dhaliwal. Big , WHL goal-scoring centre Roger McQueen is an interesting, volatile name to track as the draft unfolds, given his unique upside and concerning recent injury history.' While Mock Drafts have become their own industry in the NFL, the NHL doesn't generally have the consensus of the prospects available like in college football. But here's how some experts see the draft breaking down for Vancouver. From Kimelman — Kashawn Aitcheson: ' Aitcheson brings an entertaining mix of offensive skill and brute strength that makes him a nightmare to play against, similar to the Bruins' Charlie McAvoy or the Ducks' Jacob Trouba . The left-handed shot set a Barrie record for goals by a defenseman (26) this season and was a physical menace. However, he showed the maturity needed to hit hard and often while avoiding unnecessary penalties; he went from 126 penalty minutes in 2023-24 to 88 in 2024-25 while playing 64 games each season. Aitcheson also was trusted enough to draw the toughest defensive assignments each game.' Morreale — Carter Bear: 'The versatile forward can play center but seems most effective on wing, where he led Everett in goals (40), points (82) and power-play goals (14) in 56 games. The left-handed shot plays the bumper on the power play and also had four short-handed points (two goals, two assists). Bear can scale a lineup, is hard on plays and will finish checks. The Achilles injury may drop him to the mid-to-late teens in the draft, but he's too good to pass up at this point and projects to be a solid pro.' Sportsnet's Sam Cosentino : 'Throwback player with personality and swagger to boot. Aitcheson may not produce the same kind of offence in the NHL as he did this year in Barrie, but he's still a defenceman who will eat pucks, throw big hits and drop the gloves when required. TSN's Craig Button has Vancouver selecting Braeden Cootes with their first rounder. The Score has a real shocker, the Canucks selecting a Swedish first rounder. 'The Canucks would love to see RW Victor Eklund – the No. 2-ranked international skater who was once thought to be a top-10 lock – fall into their lap. They've used their first pick on a Swede in each of the last three drafts under Swedish GM Patrik Allvin. The brother of Sharks winger William Eklund, Victor is a fiery competitor at 5-foot-11 and 170 pounds, with more than enough offence in his game to be an effective top-six winger.' Bleacher Report has the Canucks taking Kashawn Aitcheson. Scott Wheeler of The Athletic breaks it down like this: 'The consensus seems to be that Cootes is going to go in the 15-20 range, and the Canucks took him to dinner at the combine. They'd be familiar with his game due to the proximity to Seattle, and their top prospects at the moment are a D (Tom Willander) and a winger (Jonathan Lekkerimäki). I don't think Lekkerimäki, who has had some ups and downs this year in the AHL, precludes them from taking a winger by any means (I've heard they like Eklund and I mocked him there in my last mock), and could see them prioritizing the higher skill level of Justin Carbonneau and Bear over Cootes here because they need talent, but Cootes makes a lot of sense as a projectable middle-six C. 'I could see the Canucks take defenseman Cameron Reid, too. I think they're the start of his range.' 'If the Canucks decide to draft more for projectability with their first-rounder, I wonder if they'll take a cut on a high-skill type here. They need to inject skill into their pool, and Lee has some of the best pure puck skills in the draft,' writes Wheeler.
Edmonton Journal
2 hours ago
- Edmonton Journal
Canucks this week: What the rest of the NHL is saying about the Canucks ahead of the draft and free agency
Article content The NHL draft starts on Friday but the Canucks aren't waiting … Evander Kane is now a Canuck and there is a lot of speculation about what other moves are coming. It's common knowledge that the Canucks biggest need is a centre. 'Let's just go with the simplest form of what the objective should be: Keep your captain happy. Find a way to keep Quinn Hughes happy at all costs,' said Frank Corrado on Sports Centre with Jay Onrait. Article content Article content TSN analyst Mike Johnson sums up the situation like this: '(The Canucks) are a team that almost feels like they got to make something happen or they got to be good this off season because if it goes wrong, Quinn Hughes to his credit has sort of acknowledged 'I think I might want to go play with my brothers in Jersey unless you give me a reason not to.'' In the same conversation O-Dog, former NHLer Jeff O'Neill, makes the analogy, 'If you're just going to go ahead and put skinny jeans on a monster – it's not going to work.' 'That's the Vancouver Canucks,' chimed in Overdrive host Bryan Hayes. Granted that was before Evander Kane signed but let's hope he's wrong. Keep in mind two of our three leading goal scorers from last season — Brock Boeser and Pius Suter — are pending UFAs and expected to sign elsewhere July 1. Here's a round up of what the national pundits and saying: Article content What are the Canucks getting with Evander Kane? Jamie McLennan for TSN – 'He brings some attitude. He brings some irritability. He's very tough to play against … I'll call him a unicorn in the National Hockey League because there's only a few players that play like him. I think of a guy like Brady Tkachuk. I think of a guy like Tom Wilson. He's a top six forward who can skate, shoot, hit, fight, score do it all. He's a combination of everything. But in that package is a big personality. Is a guy who can grate on either other teams or on his own team. But he is a guy that can be a difference maker.' Elliotte Friedman on Sportsnet – 'This is the right time to do it if your Vancouver He's in his last year of his contract. He's going to be a highly motivated player, anytime you get a player who's playing for a new deal you think you are going to get the absolute best out of them on and off the ice.' Article content Article content Frank Seravalli on the Daily Faceoff when asked: What do you make of the Oilers able to get out of Kane's full cap hit? 'Pretty tidy work. It highlights just how good of a player Kane is. The fact the Oilers were able to get something in return at all from Vancouver indicates there were other teams that were involved in the mix. It was obviously a priority for the Oilers to clear out salary cap space. That was their thought process, that's still their thought process, with what's to come with Viktor Arvidsson. 'The fact he is trending towards being healthy for the first time in awhile, I think that stands out as important business for the Canucks. They're hoping to get a very motivated Evander Kane in a contract year that they can plug into their top-six, in an effort to find goals, which have been very hard to come by in Vancouver.' Thatcher Demko, Kevin Lankinen or Arturs Silovs: does one goalie get traded this week? If you are the Vancouver Canucks and you have confidence in Kevin Lankinen and you know the Arturs Silovs is ready for the jump that may be the prime time to move a player like Thatcher Demko … I think he's still a great goaltender but considering the position that the Canucks are in right now that may be the best timing to go out there and get value for Demko.' Article content Seravalli on the Daily Faceoff – 'Why would you head into this season if you are not extending Thatcher Demko with him as a pending UFA like goalies never get traded? You just going to let him walk for nothing? Asking a first round pick for Thatcher Demko even now with his health status doesn't make a lot of sense to me. They should change the ask and go with Lankinen and Silovs especially for a team that might not have super high expectations next year if they can't fill some of their other spots like the 2C that they are desperately trying to fill. I think the Canucks have a lot of questions to answer but in goal with three pretty solid goalies that's not one of them.' TSN analyst Travis Yost — 'Vancouver and Edmonton working out a trade for goaltender Thatcher Demko? I see both as extremely viable right now. 'I can't foresee any scenario where the Oilers run it back in net, but the options around the league still are few and far between. That said, a division rival in Vancouver may have the answer in Demko, a 29-year-old veteran with a proven track record of higher-end play. He also has struggled in recent years to stay healthy, which might be enough for the Canucks to consider moving on. Article content 'Compare Demko to the likes of Skinner, or Gibson for that matter, and you can get a sense of how productive – if healthy – he could be manning Edmonton's crease.' Is Elias Pettersson going to remain a Canuck? Pierre LeBrun for The Athletic writes: 'The trade rumours won't go away until we are past July 1, but regarding Elias Pettersson, it's still my understanding that the Canucks don't plan on trading him — or at least that was the case as of Monday. 'As I said a few weeks ago, the Canucks are encouraged by Pettersson's approach this offseason. His full no-move kicks in July 1.' How do the Canucks replace Boeser and Suter if they don't sign? Thomas Drance for the Athletic – 'The Canucks will need to identify and acquire replacements and upgrades, as the potential departure of Boeser and Suter will fundamentally alter the depth chart. 'When you scan the options in unrestricted free agency, however, it's no surprise that Canucks hockey operations leadership intends to be aggressive on the trade market in seeking to find answers to their significant top-six forward questions. Article content 'Vancouver has some meaningful cap flexibility going into this offseason, with just a hair over $12 million in available cap space to spend and a roster that's more or less filled out with NHL-level talent and only Aatu Räty to sign among key restricted free agents. 'The real cap problem that Vancouver is facing isn't an overall lack of space; it's a relative lack of space. There are several teams, including younger sides that finished close to where the Canucks did in the standings like Utah, Anaheim and Columbus, that will head into this summer with nearly $30 million or more in available cap space. 'Vancouver has the space to make significant changes, but it doesn't have the sort of purchasing power that other teams will be able to wield over the course of what promises to be a wild NHL offseason.' What are The Canucks going to do in the NHL draft? 'The Canucks first pick in the draft is No. 15 and ' It will be something of a surprise if the Canucks actually use their 2025 first-round pick, ' says Drance. 'There are players in this draft class that Vancouver is high on, but the short-term needs are pressing, and even though this draft class is widely viewed as below average from a depth of talent perspective, the pick could have some meaningful value as a trade chip.' Article content Do the Canucks want Braeden Cootes or Roger McQueen? In his off-season primer Drance writes: 'Seattle Thunderbirds centre Braeden Cootes is said to have piqued Vancouver's interest, according to reports from The Athletic and CHEK TV's Rick Dhaliwal. Big, WHL goal-scoring centre Roger McQueen is an interesting, volatile name to track as the draft unfolds, given his unique upside and concerning recent injury history.' Mocking birds While Mock Drafts have become their own industry in the NFL, the NHL doesn't generally have the consensus of the prospects available like in college football. But here's how some experts see the draft breaking down for Vancouver. From 15. Vancouver Canucks Kimelman — Kashawn Aitcheson: 'Aitcheson brings an entertaining mix of offensive skill and brute strength that makes him a nightmare to play against, similar to the Bruins' Charlie McAvoy or the Ducks' Jacob Trouba. The left-handed shot set a Barrie record for goals by a defenseman (26) this season and was a physical menace. However, he showed the maturity needed to hit hard and often while avoiding unnecessary penalties; he went from 126 penalty minutes in 2023-24 to 88 in 2024-25 while playing 64 games each season. Aitcheson also was trusted enough to draw the toughest defensive assignments each game.' Article content Morreale — Carter Bear: 'The versatile forward can play center but seems most effective on wing, where he led Everett in goals (40), points (82) and power-play goals (14) in 56 games. The left-handed shot plays the bumper on the power play and also had four short-handed points (two goals, two assists). Bear can scale a lineup, is hard on plays and will finish checks. The Achilles injury may drop him to the mid-to-late teens in the draft, but he's too good to pass up at this point and projects to be a solid pro.' Sportsnet's Sam Cosentino: 'Throwback player with personality and swagger to boot. Aitcheson may not produce the same kind of offence in the NHL as he did this year in Barrie, but he's still a defenceman who will eat pucks, throw big hits and drop the gloves when required. TSN's Craig Button has Vancouver selecting Braeden Cootes with their first rounder. The Score has a real shocker, the Canucks selecting a Swedish first rounder. 'The Canucks would love to see RW Victor Eklund – the No. 2-ranked international skater who was once thought to be a top-10 lock – fall into their lap. They've used their first pick on a Swede in each of the last three drafts under Swedish GM Patrik Allvin. The brother of Sharks winger William Eklund, Victor is a fiery competitor at 5-foot-11 and 170 pounds, with more than enough offence in his game to be an effective top-six winger.' Bleacher Report has the Canucks taking Kashawn Aitcheson. Latest National Stories
Winnipeg Free Press
5 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
NHL's first decentralized draft is a logistical challenge to make the event fit for TV
NHL teams for the first time in a non-pandemic environment will not be gathering in one place for the draft, and the mind-boggling logistics of decentralizing the annual event are right up Steve Mayer's alley. The league's president of content and events has masterminded how to put on outdoor games, All-Star weekends, the Stanley Cup Final in a bubble and last year's draft at the Sphere. Holding a smaller get-together at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles with similar pageantry and coordination between 32 teams spread across North America has become his department's next big challenge. 'We thought this would be simpler, and it's actually become way more complicated,' Mayer said Tuesday from LA. 'Everything has to be spot on. It was so much easier when you can look at table No. 6 and they were making their pick and it was easy. I just think this is way more complicated than it had been in the past.' Commissioner Gary Bettman will be on site, along with nearly 100 of the top prospects, 32 of whom will be selected in the first round Friday night and the others expected to hear their names called Saturday when the draft resumes. Then there are 90-plus remote cameras for the draft rooms in the various markets — including the Philadelphia Flyers setup down the shore in Atlantic City — and the guest selectors who will be announcing the picks, such as Jeremy Jackson and Marguerite Moreau of 'Mighty Ducks' movie fame for the Anaheim Ducks. There won't be a crowd of more than 100,000 fans in attendance like the NFL draft, though the NHL is hoping to put on a different kind of spectacle that translates well to TV. That includes a virtual environment a player will walk into and be able to interact with the staff of the team that just picked him. 'They're going to have a back-and-forth interaction with the kid they just drafted (and) the kid will have an opportunity to say a few words back at this group, which will be captured for television and it will be quite unique,' Mayer said. 'That moment in that environment … is what I think will set us apart from the NBA and Major League Baseball and the NFL, to an extent.' The NHL also gave itself a tough act to follow with the spectacle at the Sphere last year. That was a celebration of the last in-person draft (or so everyone thought) for a while, and the venue on the Las Vegas Strip stood out as the star. This is nothing like a sequel, but some of the graphics that debuted in the Sphere will be back. 'We're taking some of those same elements, as you'll see, to give our environment depth,' Mayer said. 'On television, I think it'll look spectacular. Whether it's decentralized, centralized, we don't care. Just tell us what we need to do, and as an event team we're willing and ready to pull it off.' Pull it off now. But for how long? Bettman has repeatedly said teams — not the league office — asked and then voted for the draft to be decentralized. There's some regret about that, so decentralizing may be a one-off, one-year thing. 'If after this experience the clubs say, 'You know what, on second thought let's go back to the old format,' we'll do that,' Bettman said in Edmonton at the final. 'What we do will be totally in response to what the clubs tell us they want.' Club officials aren't quite sure what they want. This will be Washington Capitals assistant general manager Ross Mahoney's 28th NHL draft, and he compares it to the virtual ones in 2020 and '21. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. 'It gives you more freedom to talk,' Mahoney said. 'When you're on the draft floor, the next table's right here with scouts on other teams and that, so I guess it gives us a lot more freedom to speak freely and talk about things. But yeah we'll have a better idea after Saturday.' Mathieu Darche, GM of the New York Islanders who have the No. 1 pick, enjoys being on the draft floor with everyone in the same city. Maybe he'll get his wish next year, but he's fine with this as he runs a team for the first time. 'I'm comfortable with both situations,' Darche said. 'Whatever the league decides, I'll be doing my job.' ___ AP NHL:
