Evander Kane out indefinitely according to Oilers GM Stan Bowman

Kane had been playing through a sports hernia through the majority of last year, which eventually held him out of the final games of the Stanley Cup Final. Kane tried to rehabilitate himself over the offseason without surgery, but it's now official that he will need a procedure. According to reports from Tony Brar, Stan Bowman has no indication when Kane will be cleared to return.

Earlier reports from Mark Spector suggested that the Oilers medical staff will only be able to make an estimate of Kane's return after the surgery is complete. Looking at a history of other NHL players with the same surgery, Kane should return no later than the last week of December.

However, new reports from Jim Matheson may complicate that timeline. Kane has multiple injuries that need correctional surgery, which may extend his recovery timeline.

Kane has two more years left on his contract at $5.125M. When the Edmonton Oilers signed two top six forwards in free agency and were pressed against the salary cap, it looked like Kane could've been moved out to clear money off the books. Now, the Oilers are well under the salary cap, and Kane will be able to re-join the team whenever he's healthy this season. Despite always being involved in trade rumours, Kane is actually moving into a custom-built home in Edmonton and is clearly looking to put down roots here.

Last season Kane was visibly held back by his injury, and wasn't able to be the explosive power forward that he's known to be. He still scored 24 goals and led the team in hits playing through the injury, so hopefully when Kane's back and healthy, it's the best version of him we've seen in a while.

Source for Evander Kane Stats: PuckPedia