Evander Kane was scratched by the Oilers after a big loss against the Maple Leafs, and now the real reason behind the shock move has been revealed.
The Edmonton Oilers have been rolling on the ice for the most part in 2024, but away from the ice, this team still has some issues, especially with Evander Kane, who has been vocal about his frustration surrounding his playing time as of late. Following the 6-3 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs, Head Coach Kris Knoblauch surprisingly scratched his star winger, claiming a maintenance day for the veteran.
EF on 32TP about Kane's scratch:
«Kris Knoblauch came out before the Ottawa game on Sunday night and said Kane is out for maintenance you could tell the reporters who were there didn't believe it. I wondered about it too, is this a healthy scratch that they're keeping quiet. I wonder if the Oilers were just saying, we wanna do something here but we don't wanna pour gasoline on the fire... but that scratch a day after McDavid and Draisaitl getting roughed up a bit and Kane being a guy who can definitely do something, it had people wondering.»
Kane was brought to Edmonton to do two things; score goals and be a physical presence, but after the way the Maple Leafs pushed them around, it appears that many people, including Elliotte Friedman have targeted this as the reason behind the scratch.
With the team looking to do battle with the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday, it would make sense for Kane to slide back into the team, especially after being dominated by the Senators on Sunday, but if he doesn't, it would confirm many theories surrounding this locker room. On paper, the Oilers have a team to win the Stanley Cup, but persisting issues like this may hold them back, so now, Knoblauch has a few weeks to sort everything out before that time comes.
Source:
Insider reveals the real reason why the Oilers scratched Evander Kane
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