EDMONTON, CANADA - OCTOBER 15: Connor McDavid #97 and Leon Draisaitl #29 of the Edmonton Oilers discuss the play during the game against the Calgary Flames on October 15, 2022 at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. (Photo by Andy Devlin/NHLI via Getty Images)
Evander Kane, a winger for the Oilers, had a mixed regular season and missed the final three games due to an injury that was not made public. He revealed to reporters during a meeting prior to Monday’s opening game against the Kings that he has a sports hernia but that he plans to play again (via Sportsnet’s Gene Principe).
Not all sports hernias need to be operated on right away. According to the Cleveland Clinic, in less severe cases, groyne pain may be relieved and range of motion may be restored with rest and cortisone injections. While it’s still a playable ailment, if Kane’s injury doesn’t heal completely with alternative treatments throughout the postseason, surgery may be necessary this summer.
In the second year of a four-year, $20.5 million contract, Kane, 32, is playing. Despite averaging at least 60 points per game the previous four seasons, he hasn’t lived up to the hype, playing at a 50-point pace for the duration of the contract. While he played in 77 games and was in better health than any other Oiler this season, his average usage since his rookie season was 16:47 due to his 44 points and low relative possession figures.
His playing time has decreased as the game draws to a close. A few weeks ago, he played fewer than 10 minutes against the Flames and was pulled against the Senators in late March. Warren Foegele’s rise has helped the Oilers’ secondary scoring, as he has
Compared to other players in the bottom six, such as Dylan Holloway, who has only managed six goals and nine points in 38 games this season, Kane continues to be a more offensively reliable player. He might play a significant role in neutralising a well-balanced Los Angeles front lineup if he can even partially replicate his postseason performance from 2022, when he finished with 13 goals and 17 points in just 15 games.
