NHL: No punishment for Oilers after probe into Evander Kane LTIR case
The Edmonton Oilers will not face any discipline from the NHL for their use of long-term injured reserve last season with respect to forward Evander Kane, deputy commissioner Bill Daly told reporters on Tuesday.
Kane recovered from abdominal and knee surgeries during the entire regular season before returning for Game 2 of the Western Conference first-round series versus the Los Angeles Kings.
He recorded 12 points (six goals, six assists) in 21 playoff games for Edmonton, which fell to the Florida Panthers in the Stanley Cup Final for the second consecutive season.
With Kane sidelined, the Oilers used some of the salary freed by having Kane on LTIR to acquire forward Trent Frederic and defenseman Jake Walman at the trade deadline.
Kane, who was traded to the Vancouver Canucks in June for a fourth-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, is heading into the final season of a four-year, $20.5 million contract.
Kane, 34, has totaled 617 points (326 goals, 291 assists) in 930 career regular-season games with the Atlanta/Winnipeg franchise (2009-15), Buffalo Sabres (2015-18), San Jose Sharks (2018-21) and Oilers. He was selected by the Thrashers with the fourth overall pick of the 2009 NHL Draft.
Oilers Cleared in Evander Kane LTIR Investigation
The NHL has closed its investigation into the Edmonton Oilers' usage of long-term injured reserve (LTIR) and found no wrongdoing, NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly told reporters Tuesday. As a result, the Oilers will not receive any punishment, either retroactive or for the upcoming season.
The investigation centered on Edmonton's handling of forward Evander Kane, who did not play at all during the regular season but returned for Game 2 of the first-round series against the Los Angeles Kings. He then scored six goals and 12 points in 21 playoff games while averaging 16:29 of ice time to help the Oilers reach their second-straight Stanley Cup Final, where they once again lost to the Florida Panthers.
Kane being on LTIR took his $5.125 million cap hit off the Oilers' books, which helped them acquire defenseman Jake Walman and forward Trent Frederic at the trade deadline. The Oilers were far from the first team to use this loophole to add players at the deadline, but for unknown reasons, the league decided to look into their usage of it more closely.
The league is set to close this loophole with the new CBA, which won't fully go into effect until the 2026-27 season, but some changes are already going into effect this season.
Starting this season, teams will be retired to ice a cap-compliant lineup for each playoff game, whereas the salary cap previously ceased to take effect once the postseason rolled around. Teams such as the Panthers, Tampa Bay Lightning and Vegas Golden Knights have iced lineups far above the cap in previous years, though not without significant controversy.
Teams will also receive less LTIR relief for injured players, now capping out at around $3.8 million for one player instead of their full cap hit. This has already had major ramifications around the league, most recently forcing the Montreal Canadiens to trade the contract of legendary goaltender Carey Price after previously having his entire $10.5 million cap hit off the books for the past few years.
The Oilers traded Kane, 34, to the Vancouver Canucks this offseason in exchange for a 2025 fourth-round pick. The trade was mostly to clear his salary with major extensions due over the next year and change.
Kane scored 62 goals and 111 points in 162 regular season games during his time in Edmonton, plus 26 goals and 42 points in 68 postseason games.
