Should The Oilers Reunite With 'Apex Predator' Evander Kane?

The Edmonton Oilers have had a busy offseason, trading hard-nosed two-way defenseman Darnell Nurse and augmenting their goaltender depth with Devon Levi. 

The former two-time Stanley Cup contenders remain without edge: a player who can shoot, fight, and hit. They expected Trent Frederic to fulfill that role, as he had in Boston, but he couldn't perform up to expectations, as the once forty-point forward we saw under Jim Montgomery.

Evander Kane

 That player was on the roster in 2022, after being traded to the Edmonton Oilers from the San Jose Sharks--Evander Kane.

The move was a fit for Kane, who planned on retiring in Edmonton, but his trade to the Vancouver Canucks put a halt to those hopes. 

I would have loved to have stayed and finish my career here in Edmonton," said Kane. "Me and my family, we have a lot of great memories here, on and off the ice. Obviously, I understand hockey is first and foremost a business and that people have to make business decisions, especially when there are salary-cap issues with teams. When you go to the finals back-to-back years, you probably have a pretty good team, and you have players making a lot of money. I think you saw that this summer with a ton of turnover. It's going to be happening for others next year, with a lot of guys moving on.

 David Staples of the Edmonton Journal believes that the two parties need a reunion. Kane would bring the grit back to Edmonton, which has been missing in his absence. He'd be an apex predator to neutralize the opposition and even the odds on the ice. 

Who might give Zadorov a run for his money in this category? Washington's Tom Wilson. Florida's Radko Gudas. And maybe still Evander Kane, who is a free agent. And, I believe, the Oilers could dearly use that kind of player, so much so that I'm open to them now bringing back Kane to the team.

Kane played 161 games in an Oilers uniform, scoring 111 points (62 goals, 49 assists) with 198 penalty minutes. 

Kane's last contract paid him an AAV of $5.125 million, and going unsigned this long could mean accepting a PTO in order to prove himself again after a woeful 30+ point season as a Canuck. 

GM Stan Bowman could opt to reunite with Kane and shouldn't be afraid to add some familiarity back in the lineup, especially if it means protecting Connor McDavid.