Evander Kane could return to the Edmonton Oilers’ lineup Tuesday night when they host the Seattle Kraken at Rogers Place.
You can listen to live coverage of the game on 630 CHED, beginning with The Faceoff Show at 5:30 p.m. The actual game starts at 7 p.m.
“I think he has one last hurdle to cross. I haven’t talked with the medical department here, but everybody is hopeful,” Oilers head coach Jay Woodcroft said late Tuesday morning. The team then activated Kane off long-term injured reserve early Tuesday afternoon.
Kane suffered a serious wrist injury when he was cut by a skate on Nov. 8 in a game against the Tampa Bay Lighting. He has missed 31 games.
“He brings a lot of elements to our team, on and off the ice,” said Oilers captain Connor McDavid. “He brings a lot of personality to the group.
“He brings a lot of intangibles that the average fan might not see. He’s big and strong and plays physical — plays a hard game.”
“If it was up to Evander, he’d want to play 30 minutes in his first game. That’s just how he’s wired,” Woodcroft noted. “The one aspect of hurting that part of his body is that he’s been able to heal but work at other parts of his body.
“He’s in elite shape. He’s an elite talent.”
Kailer Yamamoto and defenceman Ryan Murray were both placed on long-term injured reserve Tuesday afternoon with undisclosed issues. Yamamoto missed the final two games of the Oilers’ road trip last week.
The Kraken had won eight games in a row before losing to Tampa Bay on Monday afternoon.
“In order to beat this team, you have to have everyone going,” Woodcroft said of Seattle. “They’ve beat some good teams here.
“They have balance to their group. They can score goals. They’ve been getting good goaltending, especially on this streak.”
The Oilers and Kraken have split two meetings so far this season. Jack Campbell will start in goal for Edmonton.
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