Elliotte Friedman reveals potential return date for Evander Kane after surgery

Oiler winger Evander Kane underwent surgery in New York City yesterday for a plethora of injuries, including two torn hip adductor muscles, two hernias and two torn lower abdominal muscles, as announced last week. There's no exact timeline for his return, but he is not expected back until January or February at the earliest, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.

These injuries are the result of Kane battling a sports hernia for most of last season, into the playoffs. For all that, however, Kane missed a total of only 10 games throughout the regular season and postseason.

But the injuries surely took their toll on his numbers. Evander Kane's 0.31 goals per game and 0.57 points per game were his lowest since the 2015-16 season. His effectiveness in the playoffs was greatly reduced, as he tallied only four goals and eight points over 20 games while averaging less than 15 minutes on the ice per game. That's a big drop-off from the great form he was in two seasons ago in the 2022 playoffs, where he played nearly 20 minutes a game and scored a playoff-leading 13 goals as the Oilers fell to the Avalanche in the Western Conference Final.