The Edmonton Oilers have spent the early part of the offseason tackling the big stuff, but one job is still hanging out there: finding another top-six forward. Former NHL head coach Bruce Boudreau thinks he has the answer, and he pointed straight to Patrick Kane.
During an appearance on Edmonton Sports Talk, Boudreau said Edmonton should make a serious push to sign the veteran winger, calling him an ideal fit for a team that is once again all-in on winning the Stanley Cup.
That idea lands neatly with where the Oilers are right now. After a busy July 1 that changed the shape of the roster, Edmonton still has room to make one more swing, and Kane would give them another high-end offensive weapon.
General manager Stan Bowman came into the summer with a clear checklist, and the Oilers have already knocked out most of it. The biggest move was parting ways with Darnell Nurse, a decision that opened up major cap space and altered the look of the blue line. Edmonton then brought in Ryan Shea, a steady, defensively responsible defenseman who should slide into the club’s new-look group without much fuss.
The crease also got a full reset. The Oilers signed Frederik Andersen, adding a goalie with proven playoff experience, and then acquired Devon Levi, giving the organization both an established option and a young netminder with long-term upside.
Edmonton also kept Kasperi Kapanen, preserving forward depth and a player who showed he can handle different roles over the course of last season.
With those moves in place, the Oilers are sitting on a little over $7 million in cap space. That leaves Bowman with enough flexibility to chase one more meaningful addition before training camp.
Kane is the kind of player who still checks a lot of boxes. Even now, he remains one of the league’s best playmakers, with the kind of vision, puck patience and offensive touch that would fit naturally next to Connor McDavid or Leon Draisaitl. If Edmonton wants another legitimate top-six threat, Kane brings exactly that.
And there’s another layer here that could matter. Bowman already knows Kane well from their Chicago days, when they built championship teams together and won three Stanley Cups. Edmonton also has Duncan Keith on staff as a player development consultant, and Keith and Kane were part of that Blackhawks dynasty as well.
That kind of familiarity can matter, especially if the Oilers are trying to sell a veteran on one more shot at a title. A bonus-heavy one-year deal could make sense for both sides, giving Edmonton a way to maximize its remaining cap space while giving Kane a chance to chase another ring.
The expectation still is that Kane will either re-sign with the Detroit Red Wings or head home to the Buffalo Sabres. Those are comfortable landing spots. But if the goal is strictly another Stanley Cup run, Edmonton has a strong case.
The Oilers have already addressed major needs on defense, in goal and in depth. If they add one more proven scorer, this offseason could go from productive to downright dangerous.
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Oilers Add Mathieu Joseph And Fans Will Debate What It Means
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For a team that has already layered in a string of other moves, Joseph is the kind of signing that invites debate because it says something about both fit and intent. Edmonton still has cap room to work with, but the real question now is how this latest addition slots into the larger plan as the Oilers continue reshaping the bottom of the lineup and trying to make each move count. [Read more 🡒]
Oilers Just Made A Goaltending Gamble That Could Change Everything
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What makes the decision interesting is the structure around it, because Edmonton is not treating this as a simple starter-and-backup arrangement. The plan is to carry Andersen, Levi and Tristan Jarry in a three-goalie setup, a rare approach for a team trying to build stability rather than just patch a hole, and it leaves the Oilers with plenty to sort out before opening night of that season. [Read more 🡒]