Edmonton Oilers’ head coach Kris Knoblauch spoke with the media on Tuesday regarding his team’s preparations for the Stanley Cup Final against the Florida Panthers. The Final starts June 8 and there are questions about his lineup, particularly when it comes to the team’s depth, the Panthers’ size, and an injury to Evander Kane. The good news is that Kane should be ready to go for Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final.
Knobluch noted that it’s about “who’s playing their best hockey” as opposed to “let’s counter what they have.” Some analysts have suggested the Oilers will be tough to counter a skilled and aggressive forechecking team like Florida. Knoblauch prefers to think proactively instead of reactively. Edmonton is as skilled (if not more so) than Florida and the plan seems to be to be the aggressor and try to dictate the pace, even if the Oilers won’t match up in terms of hits and physicality.
One of the players who can help Edmonton in that regard is Evander Kane. Unfortunately, he suffered an injury in Game 6 of the Western Conference Final vs. Dallas. He tried to take a few more shifts after an awkward hit, but didn’t play in the third period — likely the coach being cautious in a close game.
Evander Kane Expected to Be Ready for Oilers in Game 1
Knoblauch updated Evander Kane’s injury situation. He said he doesn’t expect Kane to practice tomorrow but says he expects him to play Game 1 on Saturday. That’s great news for the Oilers, who will likely ask Kane to play an in-your-face style, particularly against Matthew Tkachuk. Kane did so the last time Edmonton played a Tkachuk team and he effectively shut down the then-Flames star player. Kane was critical in rendering Tkachuk ineffective in the ‘22 Battle of Alberta.
The Oilers are relatively healthy outside of the minor issue to Kane.
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