Ex-Canucks Boss Makes Opinion Clear on Evander Kane’s Surprise Trade From Oilers

Former President of Hockey Operations for the Vancouver Canucks, Trevor Linden, made his thoughts clear on Evander Kane's arrival to the team.

The Edmonton Oilers are officially done with the infamous player Evander Kane.

The Oilers have traded Kane to the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for a fourth-round pick in the 2025 NHL draft. The Canucks will take over Kane’s $5.125-million cap hit for the last season of his four-year contract. The previously mentioned fourth-round draft pick originally belonged to the Ottawa Senators. Kane had been with the Oilers since January 27, 2022, after his contract with the San Jose Sharks was terminated for breach of his NHL Standard Player Contract and violation of the AHL COVID-19 protocols.

Kane more recently made headlines after hitting Panthers star Matthew Tkachuk with his stick with under three minutes left to play in the final game of the Stanley Cup Final series. He finished the Stanley Cup Playoffs with 12 points (six goals, six assists) in 21 games.

Evander Kane and Trevor Linden’s Reaction to the Trade

Despite the drama-filled end from his time with the Oilers, Kane said he is grateful for his time in blue and orange.

“As my time with the Edmonton Oilers has now come to a close, I want to take a moment to sincerely thank the entire organization, my teammates, and the incredible community of Edmonton,” Kane said in his statement, which he posted on X.

“To the Oilers ownership, front office, coaching staff, and trainers… thank you for believing in me and giving me the opportunity to be a part of such a respected and passionate franchise. Your support meant everything, and I’ll always be grateful for the chance to compete in the blue and orange.”

Canucks General Manager Patrik Allvin said he is excited to bring a player of Kane’s physicality to the roster.

“Evander is a physical power forward who will add some much-needed size and toughness to our group,” said Allvin to NHL.com. “We like the way he wins puck battles along the boards and handles himself in the dirty areas in front of the net. Evander moves well around the ice and has proven to be a productive goal scorer in the National Hockey League. We are excited to bring him back home to Vancouver and our staff looks forward to working with him this coming season.”

Former President of Hockey Operations for Canucks, Trevor Linden, chimed in with his thoughts on the Kane trade.

“You talk about the dressing room, and there’s certainly been those issues throughout Evander’s past,” Linden said on Global BC News Morning. “Having said that, he’s a guy that can bring a certain type of hockey to that locker room … For Edmonton to trade him to a division rival is certainly interesting. But, for Vancouver they, I think are in a win now type of mode … It’s a big difference.”

Linden was previously nicknamed “Captain Canuck” and led the team to back-to-back Smythe Division titles in 1992 and 1993 as a player. As president, he played a significant role in the 2004-05 NHL lockout and assisted in negotiations with league owners.

 

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