The decision to rest Kane comes at a curious time. The internet was set ablaze yesterday as a camera caught Kane and Draisaitl in an animated argument on the bench. This revived reports from earlier in the season that the two Oilers forwards have been at ends multiple times this season. It may not be related, but Kane has moved up and down the lineup, not recently playing much with Draisaitl. Now, he's finding himself in the press box against Ottawa.
Kane certainly hasn't been himself for a few months now. He hasn't scored a goal in 16 games, and hasn't been the explosive physical power forward he can be when he's at his best. It's been reported he's dealing with multiple nagging injuries, which could certainly be affecting his play, but the Oilers flat out need more from Kane heading into the playoffs. This late scratch announced by Knoblauch will be a maintenance day to recover from injuries on back to back games, but it can also be a reset for Kane to come back next game with a fire lit under him.
