Evander Kane Reportedly Causing Rift in Oilers Dressing Room

“We’ve seen that Kane hasn’t been happy when he’s been on the third line,” Brown said. “He’s talked about it and he’s demonstrated it. I don’t think there’s chemistry between him and Leon [Draisaitl] right now. There was a very animated conversation two games ago between Kane and Leon on the bench. All of a sudden, next game they weren’t playing together.

“It’s funny, I listened to the postgame and [Kris] Knoblauch talked about some frustration and some negativity has creeped in. The team’s not playing as well, but it’s creeped in to their dressing room and into their bench. Because of the stress their under right now, there’s a lot more question marks today than there was three weeks ago. A lot more question marks with the Oilers.”

While this all could simply be frustration, given how the team was struggling prior to last night’s win over the L.A. Kings, there is reason to be concerned given the player involved here. Kane has had a reputation for wearing out his welcome in the past. In fact, it has been reported on numerous occasions that he had done so in all three of his prior NHL stops, which were the Winnipeg Jets, Buffalo Sabres, and San Jose Sharks.

Kane’s time with the Sharks ended particularly ugly, as he was assigned to the San Jose Barracuda of the American Hockey League (AHL) before having his contract terminated due to failing to comply with COVID-19 league policies. Before the termination, the locker room was said to have soured on him completely.

Not What the Oilers Need

As both Draisaitl and Connor McDavid continue to move towards the end of their contracts, the pressure is rising for the Oilers in their quest to win a Stanley Cup. On paper, they have the talent to do so and are being favoured by many this season. That said if there is indeed a rift growing in the room, that could greatly decrease their chances of accomplishing that goal.

As Brown mentioned, Kane hasn’t particularly shown great chemistry with Draisaitl, which has resulted in both Knoblauch and former head coach Jay Woodcroft placing him on the third line at times. For some players, that wouldn’t be a major issue, but the 32-year-old has publicly displayed his frustration when it comes to being in that role. In order to win a Stanley Cup, everyone needs to be bought into a team-first mentality, and based on this report, along with some of his public comments, it seems that Kane may not be entirely bought into a team-first approach right now.