The Edmonton Oilers are in the process of looking to make their team better. On Thursday, they came to terms with Evander Kane of Vancouver, British Columbia to a one-year contract worth $1 million according to Steven Sandor of the Canadian Press. We all know Kane has significant issues off the ice. They include sexual abuse allegations, gambling problems which has left him bankrupt, and initial concerns he made an insufficient representation of his coronavirus status (however the last issue was unsubstantiated according to the Canadian Press).
What we do know is that Kane is an exceptional hockey player if you can avoid all of the negative baggage that comes with him. The Oilers become the fourth franchise he has played for. Kane has previously played six seasons with the Atlanta Thrashers/Winnipeg Jets, three seasons with the Buffalo Sabres and four seasons with the San Jose Sharks.
In 2020-21, Kane had 22 goals and 27 assists for 49 points, with a plus/minus of -1, 42 penalty minutes, seven power-play points, four shorthanded points, two game winning goals, 23 faceoff wins, 22 blocked shots, 97 hits, 30 takeaways, and 33 giveaways with the Sharks. The physicality aspect is a major part of Kane’s game. He led the NHL with 153 penalty minutes in 2018-19, and 122 penalty minutes in 2019-20.