Alarming Disclosure from Evander Kane, Poor Sign for the Oilers in the Playoffs

Following a late-season injury scare where Oilers’ standout Connor McDavid missed three games a week before the playoffs, another Edmonton forward disclosed on Sunday, April 21, that he’s grappling with a sports hernia.

Evander Kane, practicing with his teammates one day prior to the Oilers’ postseason opener against the Los Angeles Kings, expressed uncertainty regarding his availability for Game 1.

“I’m not sure,” Kane informed reporters after Sunday’s practice. “It’s nice to finally get a little bit of rest. I’ve been dealing with a sports hernia kind of all year. It was just getting worse and worse, so I thought it would be good to take a week off for the playoffs and see how I feel.”

Kane missed the final three games of the Oilers’ regular season, primarily to manage and somewhat heal his injury.

The NHL previously imposed a $5,000 fine on Kane, the maximum under the current CBA, as reported by Heavy on April 8.

Although Kane expressed his desire to play, he couldn’t confirm his availability for Game 1 due to his sports hernia, also known as “athletic pubalgia.” This condition, characterized by abdominal and groin pain, can impede movement and skating ability on the ice.

While details about when Kane’s symptoms began or when the injury occurred remain undisclosed, he mentioned not feeling well during his last appearance against Vancouver on April 13.

Despite potential hindrances from the hernia during the regular season, Kane managed to tally 24 goals and 20 assists in 77 games played for a total of 44 points in the 2023-24 season.

Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch anticipates Kane’s participation in Game 1, likely assigning him to a bottom-six role in Edmonton’s offense, consistent with his deployment throughout the season.