With their 5-2 loss on Tuesday, the Edmonton Oilers officially crashed out of their second consecutive Stanley Cup Finals. With the Florida Panthers officially crowned the champions of the NHL, teams across the league are looking to retool their rosters.
While some teams are focused on adding players, others are looking to cut some weight off their shoulders. One team looking to improve the roster through subtractions is the Edmonton Oilers. With the Panthers having their number for the second year in a row, the Edmonton outfit is desperate to get some new names, especially on the back line.
Perhaps atop the list of players to jettison is left-winger Evander Kane, according to one NHL insider.
NHL Insider Hints That Evander Kane Might Be out of Edmonton
According to NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman, the Oilers are already looking to ship Kane out. Previously, NHL Insider Frank Seravalli also reported the same about the Oilers’ winger.
He posted on X, “The Oilers explored moving Evander Kane at the trade deadline; ‘there will be a market for him’ this offseason if the Oilers go that direction.”
Elliotte Friedman: Oilers explored moving Evander Kane at the trade deadline; “there will be a market for him” this offseason if the Oilers go that direction – SN 590
— NHL Rumour Report (@NHLRumourReport) June 18, 2025
One thing that might have led the Oilers to this is Kane’s recent behavior at the end of Game 6. As part of NHL tradition, the losing team shakes hands with the winning team. But Kane wasn’t there to shake hands with the Panthers after the game, and that received much backlash from fans.
On top of the drama, Kane is in the last year of his contract. He signed a four-year, $20.5 million contract with the Oilers in 2022 that features an average annual value of $5.125 million. Kane represents an expensive player for an Oilers squad that lacks financial wiggle room.
Kane’s contract includes a partial no-movement clause, which allows him to reject a move to half of the teams in the league. On top of this, the left winger has also burned bridges with multiple franchises. A limited number of teams that would want Kane, or that Kane would want, could narrow the field significantly.
On the flip side, some teams might be interested in getting the services of Kane come free agency. One of them seems to be the Toronto Maple Leafs, who, after the expected exit of Mitch Marner, are surely on the lookout for a forward to support Auston Matthews on the front line.
The Oilers would want to settle a potential deal with the Maple Leafs before July 1. It’s projected that they would target a mid-round pick, and a prospect with Fraser Minten’s name being thrown around.
The New York Rangers have also been linked to Kane. New York needs improved depth at the forward position. Kane, with his six goals and 12 points across 21 postseason games, might be their solution.
