It looks like Evander Kane is going to be an early question mark for the Edmonton Oilers as they get ready to face the Florida Panthers in the Stanley Cup Final. Kane was injured in Game 6 against Dallas and while he did return and stayed on the bench for the team, he didn’t play in the final 20 minutes. How much will his injury play a role in the Stanley Cup series, if at all?
As per Daniel Nugent-Bowman of The Athletic, Kane played just nine shifts and 4:39 in Game 6. His minutes were limited after he delivered a hit earlier in the first period and immediately went down the tunnel to the locker room. He returned to play a couple of shifts, but didn’t look right.
Kane battled and refused to go to the back as the game wound down, but he didn’t hit the ice again in the third period. He stayed on the bench, worked the forward doors, and tried to urge his team on to victory. He was a team player, but not an active one.
While the Oilers have depth, losing Kane would be problematic for the Oilers ahead of the Final. He was quite effective the last time the Oilers played in a series that included Matthew Tkachuck (Oilers vs Flames). Kane essentially shut down the now-Panthers forward by going after him physically.
How Bad Is Evander Kane’s Injury?
The fact he tried to skate a few times after the injury is a good sign. That he wasn’t able to go and was held out by Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch isn’t great news. It could have been precautionary considering the stakes of the game and score, but Knoblauch admitted that Kane’s lowered ice time was injury-related.
He said he hopes the time off before the Stanley Cup Final begins on Saturday is all that Kane needs to be ready to go, but it’s too soon to tell if the forward will miss any time. Kane is already dealing with a spleen issue and hasn’t been practicing with the team during the playoffs.
Next: Oilers and Panthers Set for Historic Stanley Cup Final Clash
