The Edmonton Oilers announced Wednesday they have traded veteran forward Evander Kane to the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for a fourth-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft. This will be Kane’s 16th NHL season, having played 930 games with the Atlanta Thrashers, Winnipeg Jets, Buffalo Sabres, San Jose Sharks and Oilers.
Kane, 33, totaled 44 points (from 24 goals and 20 assists) and led the NHL with 37 playoff penalty minutes in over 77 appearances in the 2023-24 season. The 15-year veteran winger also totaled a career-high 250 hits and led the Oilers with 85 penalty minutes in 2023-24.
Kane, who signed a four-year, $20.5 million contract with the Oilers in 2022, missed the entire 2024-25 season after multiple surgeries (first to his hip and groin areas and then knee surgery in January). He returned in the Stanley Cup playoffs and scored 6 goals and 6 assists in 21 games during the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs, but the Oilers lost to the Florida Panthers for the second straight season in the Final.
Canucks GM Patrik Allvin said in a news release: “Evander is a physical power forward who will add some much-needed size and toughness to our group. We like the way he wins puck battles along the boards and handles himself in the dirty areas in front of the net. Evander moves well around the ice and has proven to be a productive goal scorer in the National Hockey League. We are excited to bring him back home to Vancouver and our staff looks forward to working with him this coming season.”
In a message on X, Kane thanked Oilers players, staff and ownership “for believing in me and giving me the opportunity to be a part of such a respected and passionate franchise,” and thanked Oilers fans for “embracing me and showing unwavering support throughout my time in Edmonton.” Kane said that he’s “incredibly excited for the next chapter of my career … It’s an honor to become part of an organization and team I grew up watching as a kid. Vancouver is a city that lives and breathes hockey, I’m looking forward to the opportunity to play in front of my hometown as I did many years ago as a Vancouver Giant.”
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