Rumors Surrounding Evander Kane AHL Stint Seemingly Squashed

Sportsnet’s Mark Spector put to rest rumors surrounding Evander Kane’s potential stint in the AHL with the Bakersfield Condors on Friday. While initial speculation suggested Kane could play a few rehab games in California—potentially staying after the Oilers’ current road trip—Spector confirmed that Kane will likely not be heading to Bakersfield for the upcoming weekend’s games.

Though it seems a valid question, my understanding is that Evander Kane will NOT remain in California for a rehab assignment with Bakersfield.
He could still go there, but not for the coming weekend’s games.

— Mark Spector🇨🇦🇺🇦 (@SportsnetSpec) April 4, 2025

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Whispers that Kane is healthy and perhaps close to playing started to gain traction over the past few hours. With some other injuries to key Oilers, the idea that Edmonton could put someone else on LTIR and activate Kane after a conditioning stint got fans talking.

There are two key issues with this idea. First, given Kane’s history, it’s difficult to imagine him accepting an AHL assignment under most circumstances. The veteran forward has always been eager to return as soon as possible from injuries, even attempting to accelerate his recovery timeline before the trade deadline. Second, — and we’re working to confirm this with Puck Pedia — activating Kane then potentially creates a scenario where the Oilers couldn’t activate anyone else.

For example, if Edmonton put Leon Draisaitl on LTIR and then activated Kane, if Draisaitl were ready, there wouldn’t be room to get him back into the lineup. The same goes for Mattias Ekholm. Both players are arguably more important to the team’s stretch run than Kane.

Kane Will Help in the Playoffs, But the Oilers Shouldn’t Rush Things

It’s certainly not ideal that key Oilers players are going down with injuries. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean Edmonton should change its game plan.

Since signing with the Oilers in January 2022, Kane has been an important part of the team’s offense. He’s averaged 21 goals per season in Edmonton and could provide a much-needed scoring boost while also adding a little grit to the lineup. That said, Edmonton has won three straight, and they could keep winning.

Jeff Skinner and Viktor Arvidsson have stepped up recently, and other Oilers have had to find an extra gear with the top stars out. That’s not the worst thing for an Edmonton club that needs depth scoring to show up in the playoffs. If the Oilers can remain competitive with a weakened roster, that speaks volumes to how effective they could be when the stars return.

The Oilers have managed without Kane for much of the season, but his return could come soon. With Trent Frederic set to make his debut and Connor McDavid nearing a return, Edmonton’s lineup isn’t going to stay depleted forever. At this point, Kane returning in the postseason and providing even 50% of what he’s offered in the past is a plus.

Jack Michaels also reported on Friday that Trent Frederic appears ready to make his Oilers debut tomorrow. He was skating with Adam Henrique and Zach Hyman on a line at practice. Kasperi Kapanen drops down to center the 4th line with Max Jones and Corey Perry.

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