The Edmonton Oilers have traded forward Evander Kane to the Vancouver Canucks. The Oilers announced on Wednesday that they will receive a fourth-round pick in this week’s draft in exchange for the 16-year veteran, one week after Edmonton lost to the Florida Panthers in the Stanley Cup Final.
With the deal, the Oilers clear Kane’s $5.125 million cap hit off their books.
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In an Instagram post, Kane thanked the Edmonton fans who have rallied behind him and his teammates for the past three seasons.
“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,” the 33-year-old wrote.
“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. Your support meant everything, and l’ll always be grateful for the chance to compete in the blue and orange.
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“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.
“To the fans-thank you for embracing me and showing unwavering support throughout my time in Edmonton. 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.”
Kane arrived in Edmonton in 2021 after three-plus seasons with the San Jose Sharks. The veteran was drafted by the Atlanta Thrashers in 2009 before they became the Winnipeg Jets and remained with the franchise for six seasons. He spent two-plus seasons in Buffalo before landing in San Jose.
Kane dealt with a laundry list of injuries and missed the entire 2024-25 regular season. In September, he underwent surgery to repair two torn hip adductor muscles, two hernias and two torn lower abdominal muscles. The injuries stemmed from playing through a sports hernia in 2023-24. Kane also underwent knee surgery in January before returning in the postseason and led the Oilers in goals per-60 (1.12) at five-on-five.
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He scored six goals and had six assists and racked up 44 penalty minutes in 21 postseason games, as the Oilers defeated the Los Angeles Kings, Las Vegas Golden Knights and Dallas Stars before running into the Panthers.
The Vancouver native signed a four-year deal worth $20.50 million with the Oilers in 2022. He now joins a Canucks team coming off a 38-30-14 season, having missed the playoffs for the fourth time in five years.
“Evander is a physical power forward who will add some much-needed size and toughness to our group,” Canucks GM Patrik Allvin said. “We like the way he wins puck battles along the boards and handles himself in the dirty areas in front of the net. Evander moves well around the ice and has proven to be a productive goal scorer in the National Hockey League. We are excited to bring him back home to Vancouver and our staff looks forward to working with him this coming season.”
