The Edmonton Oilers have traded veteran forward Evander Kane to the Vancouver Canucks for a 2025 fourth-round draft pick (No. 117 overall, originally Ottawa’s), the teams announced on June 25, 2025. The move, which clears $5.125 million in cap space for Edmonton with no salary retention, allows the Oilers to address pressing financial needs while sending the 33-year-old Vancouver native back to his hometown. Kane, who confirmed the trade himself on social media, expressed gratitude to Edmonton and excitement for joining the Canucks, a team he grew up watching.
Kane, drafted fourth overall by the Atlanta Thrashers in 2009, missed the entire 2024-25 regular season due to multiple surgeries for two torn hip adductor muscles, two hernias, two torn lower abdominal muscles, and a knee procedure in January. Despite his absence, he returned for the playoffs, scoring six goals and 12 points in 21 games during Edmonton’s run to their second consecutive Stanley Cup Final, where they fell to the Florida Panthers. His 1.12 goals per 60 at five-on-five led Oilers forwards, though disciplinary issues, including two game misconducts in the Final, drew scrutiny. Over 161 regular-season games with Edmonton since 2022, Kane tallied 62 goals and 111 points, adding 26 goals and 42 playoff points in 68 postseason contests.
For Vancouver, Kane fills a top-six void left by the likely departure of Brock Boeser in free agency. Canucks GM Patrik Allvin praised Kane’s physicality, noting his ability to win puck battles and score in tight areas. Kane, who played junior hockey with the Vancouver Giants, is expected to slot alongside Elias Pettersson, bringing size and toughness to a team that missed the playoffs in 2024-25 amid injuries and locker room discord. His $5.125 million cap hit fits Vancouver’s $7 million in remaining cap space, though the move raises questions about team chemistry given last season’s challenges.
Edmonton’s decision to trade Kane, who had a 16-team no-trade clause, was driven by cap constraints, with restricted free agent Evan Bouchard’s extension looming and Connor McDavid eligible for a new deal in 2026-27. The fourth-round pick, previously sent to Vancouver in a 2024 trade for Vasily Podkolzin, returns to Edmonton, offering modest draft capital. The Oilers, under GM Stan Bowman, aim to bolster scoring wingers and goaltending while navigating an ongoing NHL investigation into their use of long-term injured reserve for Kane’s surgeries, which is not expected to impact the trade.
Kane’s homecoming to Vancouver, where he last played as a teenager, adds a compelling narrative to his 16th NHL season. With 326 goals and 617 points in 930 career games across five franchises, his scoring prowess and physical edge make him a valuable addition for a Canucks team desperate to rebound, while Edmonton gains flexibility to retool for another Cup run.
