The Edmonton Oilers' relationship with Evander Kane appears to be quite complicated as the power forward recovers from injuries this summer.
Oilers reporter Jason Gregor revealed today that Kane was dealing with more injury problems than we first knew about in the playoffs this year. Apparently, he was dealing with a hip injury in addition to his sports hernia. It sounds like surgery could even be an option for him this summer.
He was going through an issue with his hip. We are going through the process to see what will occur and he is getting the best care and advice from our doctors. We will discuss options with him and his agent (Dan Milstein), and get second opinions. That is where we are at and nothing is planned ( surgery or just rest/rehab) at this point,» Jeff Jackson on Kane's health.
Interestingly, NHL insider Elliotte Friedman has also reported that the winger could be on the move this offseason. He revealed a rumor that the Oilers actually asked him to waive his no-trade clause in the days leading up to free agency, but obviously no move actually happened.
"There were rumours they had asked Evander Kane to waive his no-move clause, but as of Saturday, that had not occurred. That's another one to keep in mind. We'll see if that becomes a thing at all, but as of Saturday, it had not happened." - Elliotte Friedman
This has of course, lead to speculation within the Oilers fanbase about Kane's future with the team. Many fans would like to see him traded, but there is a strong contingent that thinks otherwise.
Everyone is ready to move on from @evanderkane but I still say he makes the team better. If he can get healthy this offseason, the Oilers would be the deepest forward team in the league
Some have pointed out though that the Anaheim Ducks are still below the NHL cap floor. This has lead to speculation that they could be a landing spot for Kane, and possibly other Oilers on tough contracts, including Cody Ceci.
Interestingly, a Cody Ceci and Evander Kane package would fit that amount very nicely
Whether or not Kane will still be wearing the orange and blue next season remains to be seen. However, he does still have a 16-team no-trade list. As a result, he likely won't be heading to a team like the Ducks. Be sure to follow the team this summer for more updates on Kane's status.