Evander Kane’s arrival in the Vancouver Canucks has led to questions about how the Canucks plan to use him. The team traded a fourth-round pick to Edmonton on June 25 to bring in the veteran forward. Kane is signed to a four-year, $20.5 million contract with a $5.125 million cap hit. At 34, he still offers size, strength and experience, but his role with the Canucks remains unclear.On the "Sekeres and Price" podcast on Wednesday, analysts raised the idea of Kane being used as Elias Pettersson’s protector. "Is the default position for Adam Foote to use Kane in that position as sort of the protector of Elias Pettersson?" Blake Price asked."I can understand that line of thinking," Jeff Paterson responded. "And really, when you think of the success of the lotto line, you know Evander Kane is not JT Miller (former Canucks) at the current stages of their careers. But JT did a lot of the heavy lifting… Can Evander Kane still, at the age of 34 be effective in that role?"Paterson also pointed out that others on the roster may have a stronger case to play with Pettersson. He noted Jake DeBrusk’s production last season, saying:"Jake DeBrusk, sitting over there saying, Hey, I scored 28 last year, in a year in which Elias Pettersson really wasn’t very good. Like, don’t I deserve the chance to play with an amped up median? And the answer is, yeah, you probably do."This creates a decision for the coaching staff between Kane’s physical approach and DeBrusk’s scoring ability. Additionally, Brock Boeser, who posted 50 points last season, is also expected to play on Canucks' top line.Kane’s playoff run with Edmonton last season offers a closer look at what he can still bring. After missing the regular season with a hernia injury, he returned for 21 postseason games, putting up six goals and six assists. He had three assists in a key game against Dallas in the Western Final, but slowed in the Stanley Cup Final with only one point in six games.Still, Kane averaged more than 16 minutes of ice time and provided a physical presence throughout. However, in addition to that, the 'Nucks will expect Kane to bring some offensive production.Canucks' Elias Pettersson's comments on Evander Kane tradeElias Pettersson said he was happy when the Vancouver Canucks' decision to trade for Evander Kane. Speaking during Sweden's orientation camp for the 2026 Olympics in Italy in August, Pettersson believes Kane adds grit and scoring, a player the team needs to compete better."I was very happy when I saw that trade," Pettersson said, via NHL.com. "It's a player that we need, a player who plays with grit and still can score goals."Pettersson also spoke about his offseason work. He said he added some muscle to get stronger for the 2025-26 season."I've put on some (muscle)," Pettersson said about improving his physique. "It's always about building your base strength to get quicker on the ice."Pettersson is ready to return stronger this season, as the 'Nucks will try to bounce back after missing the playoffs.