Evander Kane will not play tonight as the Edmonton Oilers take on the San Jose Sharks. Head coach Kris Knoblauch explained that Kane is out as a maintenance decision, similar to Connor McDavid’s sitting the last three games. Knoblauch noted, that if it was Game 1 of the playoffs, Kane would be in. Instead, because the game has little meaning in terms of the overall standings, the extra time to heal to ensure he’s 100%.
McDavid will be back in the lineup and in the place of Kane on the top line, the Oilers will be going with Adam Henrique. Henrique told the media on Monday he was excited about the opportunity to play with McDavid and Zach Hyman. Henrique has five goals and six points in 19 games since joining the Oilers are the NHL Trade Deadline. When asked how he’ll play, he said he’ll shoot it and wrestle with Hyman for the net front opportunities. Expect some dirty goals from that line if they’re able to produce.
Kane Was Just Starting to Get Rolling
Kane was on a bit of a dry spell, but in his last few games has started to turn it up a bit. He’s got five points in five games with three goals. The Oilers have needed Kane back and it looks like he’s finally starting to turn a corner.
He’s been in the news of late as he’s had a couple of public heated conversations with teammates. It was believed the Oilers’ leaders were taking it upon themselves to get Kane in the right mindset and limiting offensive mistakes that were causing odd rushes against. Kane is a volume shooter, but he’s not necessarily known for his 200-foot game. When he’s engaged and physical, he’s one of the better power forwards in the league. It’s simply a matter of keeping him focused.
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