Edmonton Oilers
Following Public Media Beef, Has Former Oiler Evander Kane Finally Found a Team?
While it appears any chance of Evander Kane coming back to the Oilers is over, could he have found employment with another team?
Evander Kane has been in the news recently, not just for his back-and-forth with an Edmonton sports reporter, but because it appears he might finally be landing with a new team. The former Oilers and Vancouver Canucks forward is among many names that haven’t been signed, and it appears he might have to look outside the NHL.
Kane remains unsigned more than a month into free agency, and any chance he might be returning to the Oilers seemed to be squashed when he got into a war of words with local media personality Mark Spector. This is not to say that the Oilers wouldn’t sign a player because of a media beef or personal issue with a reporter. However, the public nature of the beef suggests Kane isn’t on Edmonton’s radar.
But a KHL team might be interested.
According to Sports-Express-RU, KHL club Ak Bars Kazan is reportedly interested in signing him for 2026-27.
The 35-year-old spent last season in Vancouver after being acquired from Edmonton, but posted modest numbers—13 goals, 18 assists, and 111 hits in 71 games—a notable decline from his 2023-24 output. The Canucks were unable to flip him at the deadline, and he saw limited action late in the season, though he did reach his 1,000th career game.
Career-wise, Kane has 339 goals and a reputation as a physical power forward, but he’s now more realistically a bottom-six option. Whether he’d actually consider the KHL is unclear. However, as the article points out, “Kane already has KHL experience. During the NHL lockout of the 2012/13 season, the forward signed a contract with Dynamo Minsk. He played 12 games for the Belarusian team, scoring one goal and no assists. His efficiency rating was minus-8.”
What About This Beef With Spector?
The Kane and Spector exchange got a lot of attention this week. Maybe because the news cycle was slow or this was a hint that Kane isn’t coming back, these two have always been opinionated.
It started when Kane expressed his opinion on the news that Senate Homeland Security Committee voted to hold Dr Anthony Fauci in contempt of Congress after hearing him plead the Fifth more than 100 times. Kane, never shy to share his thoughts on vaccinations — he was suspended by the NHL for a fake vaccination card — said, “Imagine believing that someone else’s injection was supposed to protect someone who didn’t get one… and then calling other people the idiots. And acting like that was obvious science. And the media didn’t just repeat it they amplified it, enforced it, and treated anyone who questioned it like they were dangerous.”
That led to Spector sarcastically saying, “Imagine, Evander Kane with a selfish take.” Kane then responded by essentially calling Spector an idiot and saying he made the reporter cry outside the locker room when he was with the team after a “talking to” over some issue the two had. Spector essentially denied that incident happened, saying, “That’s quite a world you live in, Evander.
Hope your summer goes well.”
Needless to say, both men will go on and be just fine. Kane will try to land a job on a team somewhere, and Spector will continue to report on the Oilers in the 2026-27 season. The chances of either having another conversation with Kane as a member of the Oilers are pretty much slim to none.
Next: NHL Trade Talk Recap: Jets, Oilers & Kane’s Edgy Text
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