Daniel Nugent-Bowman: Edmonton Oilers GM Ken Holland when asked if they’d like to have Evander Kane back next season: “Yes. He had a big impact on our team.”
Holland is aware they have limited cap room and that Kane will need a raise. He added that he will talk to Kane’s agent Dan Milstein soon.
Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal: Evander Kane‘s trial run with the Edmonton Oilers went run seemed to go well for both sides.
“I thought it went really well, probably better than I expected,” said Kane. “There’s so many different variables, guys. There’s lots to sort through and figure out.”
Now, will the sides be able to work out a contract? There factors that will go into that decision for both sides.
“I’m happy we had some success and moving forward, there’s a lot of things that factor into a decision. But I’ve been very happy with my time here. The fans have been phenomenal, the city has been phenomenal. This has to be the best organization I’ve played for. I have no complaints. Just like everybody else, I’m looking forward to seeing what happens.”
Kane had signed with the Oilers for $2 million, and it’s going to cost a lot more than that, and he’s going to want some term.
The Oilers don’t have a lot of cap space to work with and may need to move someone out – maybe defenseman Tyson Barrie and his $4.5 million cap hit for two more years.
Kane may also be interested in chasing the money. The outcome of his grievance with the San Jose Sharks isn’t known yet. He may not get anything. He owes money to creditors.
Derek Van Diest of NHL.com: Connor McDavid said Evander Kane is the type of player you need in the playoffs.
“‘Kaner’ came in and did everything that was asked of him, for sure. It’s not my place. I don’t sign the contracts and stuff like that, but Kaner came in and played great and did everything that was asked of him and then some. And you saw how he performed in the playoffs, and those are the type of guys you need.”
Leon Draisaitl was also happy with having Kane around.
“I think guys like that are rare. What did he score, 13 goals in the playoffs? By playing hard by doing it the right way. Those guys are hard to come by. Those are the guys that you can go on runs with, and those are the type of guys you’re going to win with, eventually. Like I said before, he was great, he was amazing off the ice, he was a great teammate, and obviously on the ice, he had a great year, and we’ll see what happens.”
