Edmonton Oilers
Woodcroft Reacts to Evander Kane, Shifts Power Play Role
Head coach Jay Woodcroft comments to being called out by Evander Kane during the Jets game about ice time.
Following intriguing comments made by Evander Kane during the intermission of Saturday’s Edmonton Oilers versus Winnipeg Jets game, the forward, who might have been otherwise punished for calling out the coach, is getting a reward with top-unit power play minutes. Kane was on the top unit in practice on Monday, despite being relatively unproductive and seemingly trolling his coach for a lack of ice time.
Kane said he got into a fight because he wasn’t playing much and figured he might take seven or eight minutes in the penalty box since he wasn’t doing much of anything else. It might have been a joke and it might have been a jab at the coach, but it was an odd choice that many are calling a selfish decision by a player who has been anything but selfish since joining the team.
Kane, who started in the top six with the Oilers this season has one assist in five games. In the first two contests he was plus/minus – 5 and had very few shots on net relatively speaking when you look back at his history in the NHL. By the time the game with the Jets rolled around, Kane had been dropped to the third line, likely in an effort to get him going.
Granted, Kane’s new role on the power play has likely little to do with head coach Jay Woodcroft agreeing with Kane. It has more to do with the fact Connor McDavid was injured in the third period of the team’s last game and will be out for up to two weeks. The Oilers need someone to step up and with a lack of options, Kane is one of the talents available to play the bumper position on the power play.
This could also be a message by Woodcroft to challenge the forward. After being called out, getting Kane on the top unit might be Woodcroft’s way of responding, saying ‘If you’re going to call me out in public, I’m going to give you one shot to make good. If you don’t, that’s on you.’
Perhaps, it might be that Woodcroft doesn’t want extra drama in Edmonton where the team and the fan base is already feeling the pressure after a 1-3-1 start. There’s definitely something off with the team and what Woodcroft needs to do is get things back on track, hopefully finding something that offers good news, versus making a storyline that Kane is frustrated an issue brought to the forefront.
Still, when asked, Woodcroft said he had no issues at all with what Kane said during the Hockey Night in Canada broadcast.
Is This The Right Move By the Oilers?
Is it right for the Oilers to be rewarding Evander Kane with prime minutes on one of the league’s best power plays? If he’s going to fight for selfish reasons, that’s arguably not good. If it’s to get the team and himself going, it’s a good thing, says coach Woodcroft. “I see that as a positive,” said the coach. He added, “I saw somebody that was frustrated in how the first two periods went in term of the amount of penalties taken.” He figured Kane was annoyed with the way the game was being called and how the players were taking selfish penalties and wanted to get into a rhythm but couldn’t. He said Kane got physical and got into a fight and the team responded.
The coach said in his media presser on Monday that he saw the comments as a positive from a passionate player who wants to get himself going. It’s time to see if Woodcroft is right and if Kane’s decision to fight and then talk about it in the media sparks his offense. Needless to say, the Oilers could really use him without McDavid in the lineup.
Next: Sam Gagner Signs Deal with Condors, Oilers AHL Team
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