What are the odds that Evander Kane, who was recently traded by the Edmonton Oilers [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/edmonton-oilers] to the Vancouver Canucks, could return to Edmonton next season? Apparently, pretty good, according to one source. It would be unexpected to see Kane and the Oilers reunite, but in some ways, it's not the strangest, most unheard of idea. Frankly, weirder things have happened. The 2 Mutts Podcast account on X.com posted the following [https://x.com/2MuttsHockeyPod/status/1953127932714729788]: " #Canucks [https://x.com/hashtag/Canucks?src=hashtag_click] LW Evander Kane had 2 goals & 2 assists in a Division 1 Beer league game at Castledowns Rink in Edmonton last night for the BroadStreet Bullies, a team he played for in the summer of 2023. Kane played under the name Fa Afo again. Kane is spending his summer in Edmonton. It’s his new home. Some conversations on returning to the Oilers organization after he plays out his final year of this current contract. " To say the least, this is an interesting report which this author suggests you take with a bit of a grain of salt. The 2 Mutts Podcast has a somewhat polarizing relationship with their followers on social media. Claiming to have gotten several insider stories correct and that they work hard to get news that other sources can't, they've also been wrong as often they've been correct [https://x.com/2MuttsHockeyPod/status/1942786561978081455]with their reports. In a post back on July 8th, they even joked, " Are we now the official Oilers Insiders in the City of Edmonton? Haha We are getting a lot of DM’s from #LetsGoOilers [https://x.com/hashtag/LetsGoOilers?src=hashtag_click] fans saying so. Seems like we’ve been right on a lot of great things this season for Oilers fans…. Tell us if we are wrong below." Whether you consider them insiders or not, the idea of Kane returning to Edmonton is intriguing. WHAT ARE THE ODDS KANE RETURNS? I would suggest that Kane has about the same, if not better odds, of re-signing with the Canucks or testing the free agency waters as he does going back to the Oilers. That said, here's what we know: Evander Kane was a useful Oiler who didn't ruffle feathers inside the organization like he did with past organizations. He was well liked, was great in the community, and calls Edmonton home. Kane was traded, mostly because of his salary cap hit. The Oilers needed to clear space to make other moves and trading him to the Canucks, where he had history in Vancouver, was a viable option they took advantage of. Kane is the kind of power forward that teams, including the Oilers love. When he's healthy, he's a difference-maker. He can cause problems based on the number of penalties he takes, but he's an impact forward who can play a physical brand of hockey and score in bunches. Kane did not leave on bad terms. He wrote [https://x.com/evanderkane/status/1937888629533381102] when he broke the news of his trade, " I want to take a moment to sincerely thank the entire organization, my teammates, and the incredible community of Edmonton." He added: > "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." - Does this mean he'll return next season? Of course not. Does it mean the book is closed on his time with the Oilers? Maybe not. Kane is on the final season of his current contract, after which he'll become an unrestricted free agent. As the salary cap climbs, if Kane is at a point in his career where he's thinking more about fit and family than he is about money, he might be open to giving the Oilers a team-friendly rate to bring him back. If he plays well in Vancouver, there's no reason for Edmonton to at least not give it a look. Adam Henrique, Kasperi Kapanen, David Tomasek and several Oilers are on expiring contracts at the end of this coming season. That may open the door to some cap flexibility if the terms are good and the situation is right. TRENDING STORY 8 More Years for Jake Walman?: Oilers Thinking Long-Term Deal [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/0488388f-ecb4-4dcc-9b3c-5bd0fb591a73.webp] 8 More Years for Jake Walman?: Oilers Thinking Long-Term Deal The <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/edmonton-oilers">Edmonton Oilers</a> may be closing in on a significant long-term extension with defenseman Jake Walman, with growing signs pointing to an eight-year deal. [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/edmonton-oilers/latest-news/8-more-years-for-jake-walman-oilers-thinking-long-term-deal] Kane is looking at an important season. If he plays well, there will several doors that open for him to get a new deal and is favorable with a rising salary cap. If he's injured, struggles, or becomes a problem in Vancouver --where drama seems to follow the organization -- Kane could find that he becomes a player other teams are leery to give a shot to. Whether any of that equates to a reconnection with the Oilers remains to be seen.
