EDMONTON | Persona non grata in the middle of the season following the Sharks terminated his contract, Evander Kane made a comeback in the five months he spent with the Oilers.
“Players like him are rare. He’s the kind of player with whom you can hope to go far in the playoffs and, eventually, win, ”praised Leon Draisaitl, Tuesday, the day following the elimination of the Oilers at the hands of the Colorado Avalanche.
The talent of the 30-year-old striker has never been in doubt. Rather, it’s his conduct away from the arena that has given him bad press over the years. His last escapade, submitting a false declaration of vaccination, had earned him a suspension of 21 games.
A lie which, according to the staff in San Jose, had broken the bond of trust between the organization and him.
“Off the ice, he was a great teammate. He always put the team first,” Draisaitl argued, however, of a seemingly repentant Kane.
If this day dedicated to the end-of-season assessment of Oilers players has largely revolved around Kane, it is because he will become an unrestricted free agent in a few weeks. Has he convinced Edmonton enough to get another deal?
Yes, if it’s up to his teammates.
“Isn’t he the one who dominates the column of scorers so far in the playoffs? asked Mike Smith.
Indeed, with 13 goals, the British Columbian was enthroned before Tuesday’s game at the top of the NHL with two priority goals over Nathan MacKinnon, of Colorado, and his teammate Zach Hyman.
“So the answer is self-evident,” added the Oilers goaltender.
Finally an addition
Kane and his agent will have a big argument up their sleeve when it comes time to negotiate with general manager Ken Holland. Never have Connor McDavid and Draisaitl benefited from such a complementary player since their arrival in the Alberta capital.
Kane is no stranger to McDavid and Draisaitl’s 33 and 32 points in 16 playoff games.
“It’s not my responsibility to award contracts, but Evander came here and played brilliantly. In fact, you might have witnessed it during the playoffs,” said the Oilers captain.
An ordeal for Smith
Smith is another whose future is uncertain in Edmonton. The goaltender still has one season left on his contract ($2.2 million), but at 40, he recognizes that the rope is starting to wear out.
This season he has missed 26 games due to a leg injury, eight due to a thumb injury and two due to an upper body injury.
“This season has been a real ordeal. It was nice to get to know this course, but playing through injuries for the majority of the season is not easy,” he admitted.
If the masked man refused to mention the word “retirement”, his handling of the matter shows that he is beginning to think regarding it seriously.
“I am not getting any younger. It was much more difficult this season than in previous ones. It’s too early to tell. I don’t even know where I will be in two days, so imagine in four months. »
