Oilers’ Evander Kane reveals injuries that require surgery

During the Edmonton Oilers’ media availability on Wednesday in the lead-up to training camp, forward Evander Kane explained what is hurting him to the point of needing surgery.

“I’m having a lot done, Kane said. “I have two hernias and two torn abdominal muscles.”

“I’m having a lot done. I have two hernias and two torn abdominal muscles,” Kane on his upcoming surgery.

— Jason Gregor (@JasonGregor) September 18, 2024

Kane didn’t specify when the surgery or surgeries would happen, but revealed that they will take place in the next couple of days. He said his injuries started around late October of last season but that the pain started to elevate around the turn of the New Year. Reports from this offseason state that Kane is expected to be out for months.

Kane gutted it out throughout 2023-24, playing 77 games during the regular season, the most he’s ever appeared in a single season in his NHL career. The Vancouver native went on to score 24 goals and 44 points. He ended up scoring eight points in 20 playoff games, but due to injury, he didn’t play the final five games of the Stanley Cup Final against the Florida Panthers. The Oilers lost in a dramatic seven-game series.

The 33-year-old told the media that he doesn’t hope to be out for the entire season due to recovery, but an inevitable move to long-term injured reserve might benefit Edmonton.

According to CapWages, the Oilers have just $170,833 of cap space available. However, if Kane goes to LTIR, his $5.125 million cap hit will come off the books for the time being, giving the Oilers some room to make a move at some point this season.

Kane has two more years on his contract and is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent following the 2025-26 season.

The former Vancouver Giant has spent the last three seasons with the Oilers, signing in the middle of the 2021-22 season. In 161 games in Edmonton, Kane has scored 62 goals and 49 assists. Across 15 seasons, where he made stops with the Atlanta Thrashers/Winnipeg Jets, Buffalo Sabres and San Jose Sharks, Kane has appeared in 930 games, scoring 326 goals and 291 assists for 617 points. He has also scored 43 points in 76 playoff games.