With Anthony Mantha off the market, the pool of available free-agent forwards keeps shrinking, and Evander Kane is one of the names left trying to find the right landing spot. At 34, Kane is still an unrestricted free agent, but the path to his next contract may require a lower price tag and a smaller role than he’s had in the past.
Kane’s 2025-26 season with the Vancouver Canucks was a modest one by his standards: 71 games, 13 goals, 18 assists, and 31 points. Across his NHL career with the Canucks, Atlanta Thrashers, Winnipeg Jets, Buffalo Sabres, San Jose Sharks, and Edmonton Oilers, he has appeared in 1001 games and put up 339 goals and 309 assists for 648 points.
His play last season wasn’t especially strong overall, though the article notes that coming back from a gruesome injury can take a toll. Even so, there’s still reason to think he has something left to offer - just not the same level of reliability he once brought.
Three teams stand out as possible fits.
The Calgary Flames make sense if they’re thinking short term. They don’t project as contenders this season, and they don’t appear close to a playoff push.
That opens the door for veteran additions on one-year deals, especially players who could be moved later for assets. Kane fits that mold well.
If he starts the year well, Calgary could flip him at the deadline to a contender looking for physicality and depth scoring in the middle six. If he’s willing to take a discount, he becomes even more appealing to teams hunting for affordable help on a Stanley Cup run.
The Edmonton Oilers are another logical option, even if their forward group is mostly set. Kane had his best hockey there, and a much cheaper reunion wouldn’t be out of the question.
Edmonton could use more physicality in its bottom six, and Kane’s style would address that need. Trent Frederic and Colton Dach are expected to fill that kind of role next season, but there’s some concern around Frederic after a disastrous 2025-26 campaign.
A one-year deal, or even a professional tryout, would give the Oilers a low-risk swing. If it works, they get a useful, inexpensive piece for the stretch run.
If it doesn’t, waivers would make the move painless.
Then there’s Philadelphia, a team that has already shown it’s hunting for forward help after sending a massive offer sheet to Anaheim Ducks forward Leo Carlsson. Kane wouldn’t bring Carlsson-level production, but the Flyers have enough cap room to take the chance and see whether he can recapture some of what he once was. His experience still carries weight around the league, and that alone could keep him in the conversation for another shot.
The most likely outcome, at least for now, is a PTO somewhere in the NHL when training camps open. Kane’s resume is still strong enough to get teams interested, and it would be surprising if he didn’t at least land that kind of opportunity.
In Other News...
Oilers Just Took Another High Stakes Swing At Their Biggest Problem
The Oilers have spent plenty of time looking for answers in goal, and this latest move shows they are still treating the position like the biggest item on their to-do list. Edmonton has already reshaped its goaltending group with Tristan Jarry, Devon Levi and Frederik Andersen, a clear sign the organization is trying to give itself more than one path forward after cycling through different options.
Levi is the name that stands out most in that mix, because the upside is obvious and the fit feels like it could matter over time. With Jarry and Andersen in the room, the Oilers are also giving themselves some insulation as they try to bring Levi along, but the real question is whether this swing finally gives them the stability they have been chasing. [Read more 🡒]
Oilers Still Have One Unsettled Decision That Could Shape Everything
The Oilers are still sorting through a few roster questions that could ripple beyond opening night, and the most pressing one is in goal. Edmonton is set to begin the season with three NHL-caliber options and no clear starter, a setup that suggests the club may lean on a fairly even workload early while it figures out who can separate from the pack. For a team trying to stay in the thick of the Western Conference race, that kind of uncertainty is hard to ignore.
There is also a quieter contract decision taking shape elsewhere on the roster, with Matt Savoies next deal potentially influenced by the recent Cole Perfetti extension. Edmonton may prefer to think long term rather than settle for a bridge arrangement, especially if the market continues to reward young talent in that tier. It is the sort of front-office call that does not grab headlines right away, but it can end up shaping the teams flexibility for years. [Read more 🡒]