Jun 10, 2024; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers defenseman Brandon Montour (62) and Edmonton Oilers forward Evander Kane (91) fight during the third period in game two of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final at Amerant Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports

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Evander Kane Undergoes Knee Surgery, Questionable for Regular Season Return

Edmonton Oilers winger Evander Kane faces a 4-8 week recovery after knee surgery, complicating his return following prior abdominal surgery.

According to a team statement, Oilers winger Evander Kane had a knee operation on Thursday in Edmonton, which will sideline him for a minimum of four to eight weeks. Although it’s not connected to the abdominal surgery he had in September that has sidelined him for the entire regular season, he will have to interrupt his recovery plan from that operation to concentrate on his knee, the team stated.

Kane, 33, is now considered questionable to participate in the regular season. The experienced power forward managed to play despite a sports hernia for much of 2023-24, which ultimately necessitated significant surgery at the start of training camp to fix it, along with two torn hip adductor muscles and two torn lower abdominal muscles.

Oilers forward Evander Kane undergoes knee surgery https://t.co/6et6S8CoSg
— CTV Edmonton (@ctvedmonton) January 10, 2025

The original forecast indicated a four-month recovery period, likely allowing him to rejoin the team around the 4 Nations Face-Off. Instead, he will likely be absent beyond the trade deadline and possibly during the postseason.

Kane’s injuries impacted his performance in 2023–24. Although he played 77 games, the highest since joining Edmonton for the 2021-22 season, his 24 goals and 44 points resulted in just 0.57 points per game, the lowest since the 2015-16 season.

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Consequently, Kane experienced a reduction in his ice time from almost 19 minutes per game in 2022-23 to 16:47 per game last year, marking his minimum usage since his debut season in Atlanta in 2009-10. He contributed eight points and a league-leading 37 PIMs in 20 playoff games as his Oilers moved on to the Stanley Cup Final.

Importantly for Edmonton, Kane being unavailable for the remainder of the regular season would enable them to retain his $5.125MM cap hit on long-term injured reserve until the trade deadline. The Oilers have managed to avoid LTIR effectively this season, which means they can fully utilize that flexibility on deadline day and are expected to make a few additions without significant financial concerns.

Image Credit: Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports

Evander Kane

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Anamika Shrivastava

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