We’re just about 48 hours away from the NHL Draft, and the trade winds are beginning to blow. Earlier today, the Edmonton Oilers announced they had traded Evander Kane to the Vancouver Canucks in what was an obvious cap-clearing move. Here are the full details (via Frank Seravalli):
Trade details:
To Canucks: Evander Kane
To Oilers: OTT 2025 4th Round Pick
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The Oilers did not retain any of Kane’s $5.125 million cap hit for the final year of his contract, so the Oilers got his deal completely off the books. The trade makes sense from their side, but it’s a risky move for a Canucks team that had plenty of turmoil this past season.
Canucks Taking a Big Risk
It’s hard to assess where Kane’s game is since he missed the entirety of the 2024-25 regular season due to injuries. He had some OK moments during the playoffs, but did struggle mightily in the Stanley Cup Final against the Florida Panthers. Can he return to being a competent middle-six player as he was before the injuries? He’s never played a full season in his career, but the production has been there.
Kane averaged 35 goals and 68 points per 82 games from the 2020-21 to 2023-24 seasons. Any team would be happy with that, but there are red flags. He’s not a play driver by any stretch, takes plenty of dumb penalties, and defense is optional. The Canucks will need to essentially glue him to Elias Pettersson’s wing, and even that is far from a guarantee to work.
However, there is upside if it does. The Canucks need more scoring, and Kane can provide that if he’s healthy. He averaged 1.88 points per 60 minutes at five-on-five from 2020-21 through 2023-24, a rate you hope to expect from a top-six winger.
Evander Kane, Edmonton Oilers (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)
Still, I’m not sure I love the fit for the Canucks. Aside from the on-ice concerns, Kane has had his fair share of off-ice issues in his career. Those seem to have quieted down in his time with the Oilers, but is that something the Canucks need in the room after the season they just had? The drama between Pettersson and J.T. Miller caused management to break up the team midseason, so bringing Kane into that room is a risk. If it blows up, the Canucks could tear it down and begin a rebuild that likely leads to them losing Quinn Hughes.
While I get the Canucks’ thought process, I’m not a fan of this trade for them. They should be trying to quiet the noise with more sure bets than Kane, and there’s too much risk that this blows up in their faces. I’m sure Kane being a Vancouver native played a factor in them targeting him, but there were and are better trade options this summer.
Canucks Grade: C
Oilers Get Needed Cap Space
This was a pretty simple trade for the Oilers. They need cap space to re-sign Evan Bouchard, improve their depth, and perhaps find a complement to Stuart Skinner in net. It’s unlikely that’s the last cap-clearing move they make, as Viktor Arvidsson is probably the next to go to shed salary, but clearing Kane’s $5.125 million cap hit will go a long way.
With Kane’s salary removed, the Oilers are up to about $15 million in cap space. Most of that will go to Bouchard, but remove Arvidsson’s contract, and general manager Stan Bowman will have more money to work with to help the Oilers get over the hump after losing in the Stanley Cup Final in back-to-back years.
The fact that they were able to move Kane’s contract without throwing in a sweetener is also a win, though that may also be reflective of how shallow the UFA market is. Either way, this was a tidy bit of business that helped the Oilers create more cap flexibility.
Oilers Grade: A
Advanced stats from Natural Stat Trick
