Evander Kane LTIR Case Closed: Edmonton Off the Hook

The league had been examining whether the Oilers violated the Collective Bargaining Agreement by activating Kane during the postseason, when the salary cap does not apply. Kane missed the entire regular season after undergoing two surgeries, before returning in Game 2 of Edmonton’s first-round playoff series against the Los Angeles Kings.

There has long been speculation that teams have found a loophole in the CBA to use LTIR as a mechanism to add more players ahead of the trade deadline, then keep injured stars out (who could technically return earlier) until the postseason. Some thought maybe the Oilers kept Kane out a little longer than needed, just to avoid suspicion. It’s important to note that there was never evidence suggesting the Oilers did anything wrong or that they didn’t approach Kane’s injury situation with care or do things by the book.

Oilers Were Being Investigated, But It’s Not Clear Why

On June 25th, Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said the NHL was still deciding whether to ask the Oilers for more information on the usage of Evander Kane’s LTIR relief: “I’ve held that as pending,” Daly said. “I haven’t made any decisions yet with respect to how long I’m going to hold it pending.”

It was learned that when the investigation began, the Oilers were the first team to really be looked at by the NHL. They complied fully with all NHL requests for medical documentation; there was a possibility that retroactive penalties could have been assessed. However, no team has ever been penalized for LTIR usage under the salary cap era. The Tampa Bay Lightning used the same “loophole” with Nikita Kucherov, and the Vegas Golden Knights did it twice with Mark Stone. In both cases, the players were placed on LTIR for several months at the end of the regular season before returning at the beginning of the playoffs. Many believed something was fishy, but the league never investigated either team.

The investigation also coincides with ongoing league discussions about reforming playoff cap rules, and future adjustments to how teams can use LTIR are expected. Going forward, teams will only be permitted to dress a lineup of players in a particular playoff game with their combined salaries not exceeding the salary cap.