As Mike Babcock and the Oilers consider a sudden reunion up front, Evander Kane is back on Edmonton’s radar.
The opportunity arose after Edmonton’s purported attempt to reconfigure its blue line failed during trade negotiations with the Boston Bruins.
Nikita Zadorov reportedly rejected the deal, but the Oilers talked about moving Darnell Nurse to Boston in exchange for him.
Edmonton closed one chapter without adding the veteran advantage Zadorov would have provided by trading Nurse to the San Jose Sharks for defensive prospect Shakir Mukhamadullin.
The argument about Kane, who finished the previous season with the Vancouver Canucks and entered the summer as an unrestricted free agency, has been rekindled by that series.
According to David Staples, a columnist for the Edmonton Journal, the Oilers still require a player who can alter the game’s atmosphere by applying physical pressure. David Staples, a columnist for the Edmonton Journal, thinks the Oilers still need a player who can alter a game’s momentum via physical pressure.
After a failed trade, Kane is once again on Edmonton’s radar.
In Staples’ justification for the importance of the failed transaction, he wrote, “I view Zadorov as the most dominant intimidator in the NHL, an apex predator.”
While Kane provides a unique playing approach and position, it’s simple to see why he’s so appealing. He is capable of playing in the top six, attacking the crease, and adding bite to a lineup designed around elite talent.
A reunion would still be risky. Injuries, off-ice noise, and a relationship that finally resulted in the Oilers sending Kane to Vancouver were all part of his initial stint in Edmonton.
The trade of Zadorov was never completed. Perhaps that failure created a second opportunity for Kane, giving both parties another opportunity to determine if their unresolved business is worth returning to
Leave a Reply