Oilers Reveal Odds Evander Kane Plays Again in Stanley Cup Final

On Monday, when Edmonton Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch spoke with the media, he offered a surprising update on forward Evander Kane. It’s not clear if Kane will play on Tuesday night in Game 5, or if the coach was even hinting as much. Maybe he was just being optimistic about the chances Edmonton can win a game in Florida and bring the series back to Alberta. Either way, when asked about the chances Kane plays again in the Stanley Cup Final, Knoblauch responded, “It’s good.”

Obviously, Kane is not 100 percent. If he was anywhere close, he’d have been in for recent games against the Panthers since the forward has battled through injuries most of the season and throughout these playoffs. But, things had gotten worse and there will be questions about putting an injured and less effective Kane back in the lineup. Every game for the Oilers is an elimination game now. If Kane can’t function at his best self, he hurts the team by taking the spot of someone who has been productive and can go all out.

It’s not going to help much if Kane can only throw a couple of hits and do little else. The Oilers need a player who can offer physicality throughout the game, speed in the lineup, and scoring depth. Thus far, Kane has been inconsistent in some of these areas.

The Stanley Cup Final Is All a Big Maybe For Evander Kane

Again, it’s not clear if Knoblauch was suggesting Kane would be ready to go for Tuesday night. The lines at practice for the Oilers on Monday were unchanged. The coach said after practice, “Hopefully we can continue this on for another eight days, that’s the mindset.”

If he’s thinking the Oilers will win, then it shouldn’t come as a surprise that he also thinks Kane will be an option for him down the line. First things first, the Oilers need to win Game 5, which then gives them another two full days before Game 6.

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