After nearly getting a hold of that Stanley Cup, the Edmonton Oilers had to concede to the Florida Panthers for the second year in a row. Surely, Oilers fans would hope, this is a wake-up call for the Edmonton front office, who will have to do some serious reshuffling to figure out just what is keeping them from making that final cinch. Contract extensions, trades, draft picks, and, of course, letting go of free agents will all be part of the offseason reshuffle. And it looks like Edmonton’s made their first significant move, freeing up some cap space and roster space in the form of a departing Evander Kane.
Kane recently shared an emotional message on his social media where he announced the end of his time with the Oilers, thanking the ownership, staff, teammates, and fans in all sincerity. “I want to take a moment to sincerely thank the entire organization, my teammates, and the incredible community of Edmonton.” Kane wrote, signing off a series of heartfelt thank yous to his teammates and fans with, “Rogers Place was always electric, and I’m proud to have played in front of such a passionate hockey city. My family and I have built some incredible relationships that will last forever.”
But Kane already has his next destination locked in, and it’s not too far away at all. Writing at the very end of his post, “Vancouver is a city that lives and breathes hockey, I’m looking forward to the opportunity to play in front of my hometown as I did many years ago as a Vancouver Giant.”
As my time with the @EdmontonOilers 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.
To the Oilers Ownership, front office, coaching staff, and trainers—thank you for believing in… pic.twitter.com/huOxax5FxK
— Evander Kane (@evanderkane) June 25, 2025
Soon after Kane released his statement, senior sports columnist Mark Spektor provided more details. Playing both good cop and bad cop Spektor wrote in a Twitter statement, “Two things I’m sure of with Evander Kane: 1: In this contract year – before he signs quite possibly his last NHL deal – VAN gets a good, helpful player. 2: You require a confident leadership group, a strong dressing room culture, and a stable org to handle Kane. He adds drama.”
Kane does seem to add the drama, even during the recent playoffs, causing a bit of a stir when he didn’t return for handshakes after the final horn sounded on the Stanley Cup final against Florida. So, once the Oilers figure out their balance without Kane, maybe they won’t be so bad off?
What might the Edmonton Oilers do to fill the place left by Evander Kane?
According to an X post by David Pagnotta of the Fourth Period, with Kane leaving the Oilers, the franchise will be saving a solid $18.282M in salary cap space. And after they complete the trade of Viktor Arvidsson, they’ll have another $4M to add to that, so there is a lot that can be done. The Oilers are reportedly trying to get an extension on Trent Frederic that should cost around $3.75M x 8 = $30M, so the space left by Kane will be a boon in the long run.
Meanwhile, there are new prospects to look forward to—well, not really for Edmonton, who get the #31 pick after losing in the Stanley Cup final, but still, hope abounds! It’s true about the drama; Evander Kane packed it on, and this season, he laid it all down on Matthew Tkachuk and the Panthers. To make matters worse, Kane was injured for a majority of the regular season and only made it back onto the ice late into the season. The Oilers’ decision to trade this player might also have had to do with his lack of meaningful contributions this season, even excluding the aforementioned “drama.”
Investing in Trent Frederic long term, though, might be the wiser way to go for the Oilers. The 27-year-old is a passionate player who packs a punch and played an important role in the Oilers defeat of the Los Angeles Kings in their series. And though Evander Kane has spent the last four seasons playing for the Oilers, he spent most of 2024 and 2025 injured. The team at this point needs a younger, cost effective Frederic more, so it only makes sense to funnel the finances in this direction.
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