NHL Rumors: Edmonton Oilers Interested In Signing Evander Kane

The Evander Kane saga continues in San Jose as there appears to be more red tape to get through in order for the player to become an unrestricted free agent. A grievance has been filed by the NHLPA and now we wait to see what direction this takes. If Kane does indeed hit the open market without a contract, TSN's Darren Dreger is reporting the Edmonton Oilers are a team to watch.

Dreger had this to say on the matter as Kane's power forward type of skill would certainly be an interesting fit for the Oilers top guns:

I know the Oilers have made calls. I know that Kenny Holland has talked to the agent Dan Milstein. Where the Oilers fit in terms of the list of teams that will explore the interest in Evander Kane, I think given the obvious — the way the Edmonton Oilers see a pretty bright future in not only Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl but some of the other assets — Evander Kane would be wise to look at the Edmonton Oilers. And I think Edmonton, if they stay as interested as it seems like they are, would probably be in the Top 5 from Kane’s perspective. And that might be a bit premature. Again, this is all pretty new. It’s all very fresh. Clubs are still exploring whether or not he would be the right fit. I believe there are at least 15, 20 teams max, that have expressed some interest in Evander Kane. - Darren Dreger - TSN Radio

What a lot of people seem to forget is the fact Kane was lights out last season, and was on pace career highs in both goals and assists and his short time down in the American Hockey League this season was productive, collecting eight points in five games. He can flat out score and never is shy to mix it up and stick up for teammates. While the optics may take a beating, adding Kane to any roster makes the team better.

It's all going to come down to the grievance process and timing and now we sit and wait to see if the legal side of things can be taken care of so Kane can get back on the ice and doing what he loves the most. If he becomes a free man, expect Edmonton to be one of the first phone calls.

Photo credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports