Evander Kane scoring struggles could become a major problem for Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers finally got their first win of the season, but first-line winger Evander Kane has just one assist through three games.
It’s been a rough start to the season for the 32-year-old. Despite spending almost all of his even-strength time next to Connor McDavid and, more recently, Leon Draisaitl, Kane has struggled to make a meaningful impact on the ice.
The former 30-goal scorer is coming off a gruesome injury that saw Lightning forward Patrick Maroon’s skate rip through his wrist and nearly hit an artery last November.
The injury caused Kane to miss half the season and his production was limited to just 28 points. On top of this, he also suffered an upper-body injury in the playoffs, where he scored just five points in 12 games.
Before the season started, Kane admitted that he hadn’t regained full feeling back into his wrist.
According to Natural Stat Trick, Kane has spent a total of 49:40 this season on the ice at even strength. Of that time, 36:24 was spent playing with at least one of McDavid or Draisaitl, where he has just one assist to show for.
His on-ice analytics don’t inspire much confidence either. Kane’s expected goals percentage (xGF%), a stat that tracks a team’s shot quality while specific players are on the ice, is sitting at a dismal 36.16. This is the third worst on the team behind Brett Kulak (35.32) and Mattias Janmark (18.08).
In the 13:67 that Kane has played at even strength without either McDavid or Draisaitl, his xGF% drops dramatically down to 13.57. This indicates that, early on, he relied on Edmonton’s star players to get him through games.
The numbers also indicate that Kane has hindered McDavid at even strength as well. The duo has been on the ice together for a total of 34:39 carrying a 40.35 xGF%. In the 12 minutes McDavid has spent away from Kane at even-strength, the Oilers captain has posted a sparkling 75.67 xGF%.
For those who like to employ the eye test over analytics, there is not much to be disputed. Kane has had a few big hits here and there but hasn’t been noticeable otherwise on the ice. It’s a far cry from the point-per-game player who arrived in Edmonton in the middle of the 2021-22 season.
These struggles become more concerning considering how common it is for NHL players to fall off as they get into their 30s. For the Oilers, this could put more stress on the team’s already delicate cap situation. Kane is under contract for two more seasons after this one and carries a cap hit of $5.125 million.
This will impact how much space the Oilers have to re-sign both McDavid and Draisaitl.
The last time the Oilers had an expensive aging power forward was Milan Lucic, which quickly turned into a disaster for the club.
Now, this is nothing to immediately panic over. The season is still young and players coming off major injuries, like Kane, will need time to get back up to speed. However, this is something that the Oilers should be aware of as it could lead to some very difficult decisions if it becomes the new normal.
Kane will most likely line up next to McDavid and Draisaitl tomorrow night when the Oilers head to Philadelphia to battle with the Flyers.
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