Oilers’ Evander Kane Has Intriguing Injury News Ahead of Game 1

Evander Kane said he was grateful to have a week off between the end of the Western Conference Final and the start of the Stanley Cup Final. Dealing with an injury from an awkward hit he delivered in Game 6 and then also trying to cope with a lacerated spleen, the rest has been good for Kane. The Oilers have him slotted to play on the second line Saturday night, but Kane seemed to hint that his being in the lineup was not a lock. This is somewhat surprising considering how optimistic everyone has been since the series with Dallas ended.

Kane was asked during an interview on NHL Network how he’s feeling and he responded, “Usually I’d be the one to be complaining about all this big time off during series’ but this time I was very happy about it.” He added, “It’s been really good for me to have a week off before Game 1 tomorrow night, hopefully I’ll be ready to go.”

"When we went through the beginning of the year struggles, we knew we were not a bad hockey team. We just had to go out there and prove it."@EdmontonOilers LW Evander Kane talks about the team bouncing back from adversity to reach the #StanleyCup Final. #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/fzCVjp7CuY

— NHL Network (@NHLNetwork) June 7, 2024

This may just be Kane taking a cautious approach and not offering any guarantees in case there’s a setback of some kind. Still, it’s intriguing to hear him say that he’s not sure if he’s playing or not. Kane previously talked about his injuries openly, which was seen as an odd tactic since most teams and players keep their injuries quiet. Kane doesn’t mind being open and honest about where he’s at. The expectation is he’ll play, but the Oilers need him to be a difference-maker.

Kane Waited 15 Years To Get to a Stanley Cup Final

Kane is going to do everything in his power to play in this series. He’s had a long NHL career but never played in the Stanley Cup Final. He didn’t say it, but you’d probably have to drag him off the ice to keep him out of the lineup.

When asked about being physical in the series, Kane said, “You look at guys throughout our lineup that can play that game, we’ve got over a handful of them.” He noted that even their top guys are hard to push off a puck and they are a physical group. They just go about things a little differently.

The Oilers are going to be counting on Kane to bring that physicality and that edge. The healthier he is, the better.

Next: Oilers Trying New Line Combos Against Panthers In Game 1