The Vancouver Canucks added size and strength to their lineup Wednesday, acquiring forward Evander Kane from the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for a fourth-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft.
The 6-foot-2, 218-pound left wing could help fill the void if forward Brock Boeser, eligible to become an unrestricted free agent Tuesday, leaves Vancouver. Boeser had 50 points (25 goals, 25 assists) in 75 games for the Canucks this season.
“I think every team is looking to be harder to play against and for us, with the group we have here, when a player like this comes available to the cost, we felt we have a chance to upgrade our top-nine, mid-six, and become a harder team to play against,” Vancouver general manager Patrik Allvin said Wednesday. “Obviously, Evander, the way his contract was structured, he had a preferred 15 teams to go to, and Vancouver was his preferred destination.”
Kane, 33, has one season remaining on a four-year, $20.5 million contract ($5.125 million average annual value) he signed with the Oilers on July 13, 2022, and can become an unrestricted free agent after next season.
A Vancouver native who played three seasons with the Vancouver Giants of the Western Hockey League from 2006-09, Kane missed the entire regular season with the Oilers recovering from surgeries to repair a sports hernia and knee injury. He had 12 points (six goals, six assists) in 21 playoff games, helping Edmonton make it to a second consecutive Stanley Cup Final, where it lost to the Florida Panthers in six games.
“It definitely means something for us here to have a player that is on a one-year deal get a chance to come home and, after two back-to-back years in the Stanley Cup Finals, with experience playing with [Leon] Draisaitl and [Connor] McDavid and a good team in Edmonton,” Allvin said. “It means a lot to have an excited player coming here to Vancouver and provide the spark and juice we need here.
“I chatted with him this morning, he was super excited, he was with his kids at the swimming pool. But at his age, sitting out last year and coming in and performing like he did in the playoffs was pretty impressive. So I think he will do everything he can to give us what we want and what he is capable of doing too.”
Selected by the Atlanta Thrashers in the first round (No. 4) of the 2009 NHL Draft, Kane has 617 points (326 goals, 291 assists) in 930 regular-season games for the Thrashers, Winnipeg Jets, Buffalo Sabres, San Jose Sharks and Oilers and 55 points (32 goals, 23 assists) in 97 playoff games.
He broke the news of the trade on a social media post Wednesday morning, where he thanked the Oilers and his teammates.
“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,” Kane said on X, formerly Twitter. “Your support meant everything, and I’ll always be grateful for the chance to compete in the blue and orange.
“To my teammates, thank you for the battles, the friendships, and the memories. I’ll always remember the playoff runs, the highs and lows, and the pride of going to war with a special group of guys.”
