Edmonton Oilers stars are likely to go on Long Term Injured Reserve as they miss the season, insider says
This in from Edmonton Oilers insider Bob Stauffer: “Hearing there is a very good chance that the Edmonton Oilers Evander Kane won’t be ready for the start of the season…that he may require surgery…and is likely to be on LTIR to start the year.”
And in response family physician Dr. Harjas Grewal, who tweets about NHL injuries, said: “If it’s sports hernia surgery, typical timeline we see for NHLers is around 12 weeks.”
Stauffer is the ultimate Oilers insider, so I put the highest level of credibility in what he reports. If Stauffer says this is the case, it’s likely what will transpire.
That said, things are murky around Evander Kane and the Oilers.
Stauffer’s comment directly contradicts information put out by the 2 Mutts podcast, who said they spoke with Kane. They reported on Sunday that: “Evander Kane will be ready for training camp, he will take part in the Captain Skates come early September. Going on LTIR isn’t the plan according to sources. Kane & his family have invested in staying in Edmonton over the next two years & beyond. The Ducks & Kings have interest in Kane but he’s not looking to waive his NMC at this time. He WANTS to be an Oiler!”
Nothing like a bit of intrigue in the dog days of summer. Hard to know what exactly is going on, though it seems like there may well be a bit of disconnect between the Kane camp and the Oilers. For example, if Kane needs surgery, why has it taken so long? Why did he not get it as soon as the season ended? And why are there now contradictory accounts?
Kane already ruffled feathers at the end of the regular season when he announced he was playing with a sports hernia. That had some criticizing Oilers GM Ken Holland for not placing Kane on LTIR at the 2024 trade deadline, which would have enabled Kane to heal up for the playoffs and for the Oilers to use his cap space to bring in another player.
During the 2024 playoffs, Kane was again a dominant player against Los Angeles and Vancouver, but injuries took their toll and he was unable to play in the final few games against Florida, a major setback for Edmonton. If he and Leon Draisaitl — the team’s top two power forwards — had been healthy against Florida, Edmonton would have been far more likely to win the Cup.
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