Struggling Oilers' Forward Needs to be Scratched
Evander Kane is ice cold for the Edmonton Oilers.
EDMONTON -- It's been a weird season for the Edmonton Oilers.
They flopped out of the gate, resulting in Jay Woodcroft and Dave Manson being relieved of their duties - with Kris Knoblauch and Paul Coffey replacing them.
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One player who has seen a dramatic shift in ice time and production since the change is Evander Kane.
Now it has to be said that Kane went on an incredible hot streak immediately following the coaching change. In the first eight games of Knoblauch's tenure Kane recorded nine points - eight of which were goals. At that point of the 2023-24 season he was sitting at 20 points in 21 games.
Since then, Kane has 18 points in 45 games.
There are some games where he looks like the player worth the $5.125-million contract he signed in July of 2022. Most of the time he looks disengaged - and sometimes even bored.
There is no denying that he plays the brand of hockey that is required to succeed come playoff time. So does Corey Perry - who Knoblauch described as being very consistent in his level of play.
Could Kane's groin injury from December be a nagging issue? It's certainly possible - and it could explain how he's somehow looked slower on the ice lately.
Regardless of the reasoning, a game or two in the press box could do the power forward some good. Whether that's just giving his body rest, or taking a mental reset.
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