The Edmonton Oilers were not the most popular team in the league after signing PR nightmare Evander Kane to a contract for the remainder of this season after the 30-year-old winger had his contract terminated by the San Jose Sharks, but the move has worked out for them on the ice.
While Kane, the person, has been a documented distraction to his teammates in other markets due to his off-ice antics, Kane, the player, has provided the Oilers with a lot of what they were missing in the lineup prior to the Vancouver native signing his $2.1M deal back on January 27th.
Despite missing out on the first 3-4 months of the season due to a lengthy suspension, a bout with COVID-19 and his seemingly annual investigation, Kane has stepped in and made an immediate impact for the Oilers, taking no time at all to get up to speed.
Through 30 games so far this season, Kane has amassed 16 goals and 26 points, landing the winning lottery ticket, riding shotgun on Connor McDavid's wing. The Oilers have now won 4 of their last 5 games, and despite a disastrous December and January, they are now back in the playoff picture, currently holding down the 3rd spot in the Pacific Divison, though the Vegas Golden Knights are nipping at their heels just 3 points back.
Well, it was only a matter of time before we heard rumours of the Oilers looking to re-sign Kane and it appears as though that time is now. Per Bob Stauffer the Edmonton Oilers are prioritizing getting Kane locked up to an extension. Though no official figures are known, Stauffer tossed out the idea of a 4-year, $12M deal - a $4M AAV.
