Evander Kane could be on his way out of Edmonton this season

According to Allan Mitchell of The Athletic, we could also be in line to see a major change in Edmonton this season if the Oilers don't come out of the gates firing on all cylinders. Per Mitchell, the Oilers could be preparing to use Evander Kane as trade bait in a roster shake-up if the Oilers struggle early.

This news comes as a bit of a surprise with Kane just being signed to a 4-year extension just a little over 1 year ago. He has 3 years remaining on his current deal, which carries a $5.125M cap hit.

Kane did have a bit of a down year in 2022-23, posting just 16 goals and 28 points in 41 games last season, but also suffered a gruesome injury that cost him several months of his season after suffering a skate laceration to his wrist, which required emergency surgery. Kane also put up 39 points in 43 games with the Oilers in 2021-22 and 49 points in 56 games with the Sharks in 2020-21.

By all appearances, the fit appeared to be a good one between the Oilers and Kane, which is surprising, given his reputation around the league. Many of his former teammates have referred to him as a bit of a distraction at times and have had issues with his overall attitude. He also has a very public beef with the Hockey Diversity Alliance right now, which isn't helping his cause any.

If the Oilers do indeed part with Kane this season, and if it is for attitude-related reasons, I'm not sure how many more chances the journeyman forward will have to stick in the NHL, especially with all of the off-ice noise he brings with him. However, if the reason to move him ends up being purely a hockey move and if he can keep himself out of trouble away from the rink, he can still be an impact piece for another NHL team.