Evander Kane still plans to return to the NHL this season. He’s just not sure when it might happen.
The 33-year-old Edmonton Oilers forward, who has yet to play in a game in 2024-25, provided an update on his progress on Friday, a day after undergoing knee surgery.
“I’m focused on getting back to 100%. This is why I had the procedure yesterday, so that when I come back I will feel 100% and there will be no problems in the future. As soon as I’m 100%, I’ll make myself available to play hockey,” Kane said during media availability on Friday.
“We are not there today,” he also clarified. I don’t know exactly when, but what I can promise everyone is that I’m doing everything I can to make it as soon as possible. »
Kane is no stranger to the operating room. In the fall, he went under the knife to treat injuries to both abductors, two hernias and two abdominal tears. The convalescence linked to this complex operation was expected to last at least five to six months.
The most recent surgery, on a knee, comes with a recovery time of four to eight weeks, according to the Oilers. However, Kane stressed that his abdominal rehabilitation program should only be disrupted by a few weeks.
Kane mentioned that the knee problem appeared a few weeks after his abdominal surgery. He said something was removed from his knee, but there were no major structural issues or repairs that needed to be done.
Kane tried to play through severe abdominal pain last season, but was forced off during the Stanley Cup Final, playing only two games in the series. He was not on the ice when the Oilers lost to the Florida Panthers in Game 7 of the final.
Watching the Panthers celebrate with the cup, he knew he couldn’t come back as a shadow of his former self. To return to full health, he needed to address the lingering injuries, no matter how long it took.
-“It’s never nice not to play something you’ve done for 16 years. So it’s not easy to watch,” Kane observed.
“But at the same time, I think that over the summer and the off-season, after suffering a devastating loss in the finals last year — and not being able to compete at the end of the series — mentally, I was willing to take the time I needed to get my body back to 100%.
“So when I come back, I’ll know I can be the player everyone knows I am.” »
With a record of 18-4-1 in their last 23 meetings, the Oilers currently occupy second place in the Pacific Division.
Kane scored 24 goals in 77 regular season games last year and has 326 goals in 930 career games. Known to be an agitator, he received 1,186 penalty minutes during his NHL career.
But a power forward can’t thrive on pain, and Kane admitted he endured a lot of it last season. So far, he hasn’t started skating again.
“As far as the injury and what it affected the most last year was skating in pain,” Kane said.
“I could barely jog or run last year, but I feel a thousand times better today. I feel like my body will feel great once I get back on the ice. »
