Oilers face tough choice when it comes to Evander Kane

There is no doubt that forward Evander Kane has had a positive impact on the Edmonton Oilers even since he signed for the remainder of the 2021-22 season as an unrestricted free agent after the San Jose Sharks voided and bought out his contract.

But what’s next?

Kurt Leavins of the Edmonton Journal wonders if the Oilers can afford to hang on to Kane and re-sign him, though questions about the future of other players quickly come into play. And that’s without mentioning that as a free agent, Kane could get offers from other teams and bring his price tag up.

Leavins fears that the Oilers will have to make some hard decisions about younger players such as Jesse Puljujarvi and Kailer Yamamoto, both set to become restricted free agents this summer. GM Ken Holland might be forced to decide whether they’ve shown enough to invest in for the long term. He could also offer one or both a short-term bridge deals to make the numbers work for Kane.

But the Oilers also don’t have control over another factor that will play with Kane’s future. It could also depend upon the outcome of the grievance he filed against the Sharks for terminating his contract. As Lyle Richardson points out, “if an arbiter determines Kane should receive most or all of the remainder of his contract with the Sharks ($7 million AAV through 2024-25) while allowing him to remain a free agent, it shouldn’t cost much for the Oilers to retain him if he wants to stay.”

Money and term will of course matter when it comes to Kane’s future, but Holland might be pushed by captain Connor McDavid to keep Kane around. After all, fans aren’t blind: they can see the great chemistry they share on the ice.
If you’re Holland, do you keep Kane in Edmonton?