The hockey world was left reeling this week as the Edmonton Oilers made a dramatic move, sending Evander Kane to the Vancouver Canucks in a trade that has set off waves of speculation and debate. Coming off another heartbreaking loss in the Stanley Cup Finals, the Oilers have wasted no time in reshaping their roster, making a bold statement about their plans for the future. The decision to part ways with Kane—one of the team’s most polarizing figures—signals a new direction for Edmonton, as they look to address pressing salary cap concerns and strengthen key positions on the ice. With major contract extensions looming and the need for upgrades in goal, the Oilers’ front office is under intense pressure to make the right moves this summer. As details emerge about the motivations behind the trade, fans and analysts alike are eager to see how these changes will shape the team’s quest for a championship in the coming season.

Photo credit: Perry Nelson-Imagn Images

Evander Kane was shockingly traded on Wednesday, and now, the reason behind the deal has been revealed, with the Oilers needing to move out major money.

After falling just short in the Stanley Cup Finals for the second straight year, the Oilers have plenty of work to do this summer as they look to finally get over the hump in 2026.

Their summer started early this week when they traded Evander Kane to division rival Vancouver, with the Canucks taking on the entire salary of the veteran forward to replace some of the talent they’ve lost in recent times.

This is a great move for Edmonton, as it moves out someone with a questionable history in the locker room, but more importantly, it frees up some cap space, with Pierre LeBrun noting that cap jumps for both Leon Draisaitl and Evan Bouchard will make things tricky for this team moving forward.

On top of that, the team are looking to improve in net, and while Stuart Skinner not having a high salary cap hit is a positive in some cases, it means that Edmonton will need more salary cap space if they are to find a new goaltender this summer.

This not only means that Edmonton’s hand was forced to move Kane, but they’ll also need to move someone else out if they are to both improve in net and absorb the salary cap jump for Draisaitl and Bouchard.

Ultimately, Kane has been a nuisance in the locker room for years as well, so getting him to a division rival may not have been the worst move in the first place, but with over $5 million in cap space now cleared, the team are open to making some major improvements as well as fitting in new deals for key players.