NHL Rumors: Evander Kane's trade to Canucks sparks internal rift among Oilers management

Evander Kane’s move to the Vancouver Canucks was one of the key offseason trades in the NHL. On June 25, Vancouver acquired the veteran winger from the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for a fourth-round pick in the 2025 NHL draft.

The trade brought Kane back to his hometown. After missing the 2024-25 regular season with the Oilers because of a hernia and knee surgeries, Kane returned for the playoffs.

Kane played a big role in the Oilers reaching the Stanley Cup finals for the second year in a row. He played 21 games and scored 12 points after joining the team in Game 2 of the first round against the LA Kings. Now, Kane has one year left on his contract before becoming an unrestricted free agent.

The move, however, also led to some internal disagreement in the Oilers’ organization. According to the "2 Mutts Hockey Podcast," Oilers advisor Paul Coffey was not happy with the decision to trade Kane. The podcast's X account posted:

“We are hearing that Paul Coffey wasn’t happy with the management staff in regards to trading away Evander Kane to the #Canucks.”

Coffey works closely with team owner Daryl Katz and his son Harrison Katz. He reportedly felt that Kane’s importance went beyond his performance on the ice.

“Kane brought a lot of people together & had a role within the team that will be hard to replace,” the post continued.

Kane lives in Edmonton year-round and has strong ties with teammates, coaches, and staff. Coffey is said to have believed Kane was “someone to keep & re-sign.” The podcast also mentioned that Coffey might now have more influence on player movement decisions.

“There’s some talk Coffey will have more say going forward on the player movement side because of this move."

If that happens, this trade could impact more than just the Oilers’ roster; it could also change how decisions are made within the team.

Evander Kane ready to begin new chapter with his hometown Canucks

Back on July 25, Evander Kane spoke about the impact of being traded to his hometown Vancouver Canucks. He admitted the feeling hadn’t fully settled in yet:

“It probably hasn't even sunk in 100% yet… once training camp gets rolling, I think it'll sink in a little bit more.”

Evander Kane called wearing a Canucks jersey “really special,” recalling childhood memories of watching Markus Naslund and even competing in a Vancouver skills event as a Pee Wee player.

Now, with training camp coming, Kane is ready to start a new chapter with the team he grew up watching.

About the author

Abhilasha is an NHL writer at Sportskeeda. Holding a Bachelor of Business Administration degree, her interest in writing hockey was piqued after watching an NHL skills video on YouTube. The 2023 Stanley Cup Finale series between the Vegas Golden Knights and Florida Panthers was among the most iconic games she has seen and it left an impact on her.

Her reporting strengths include covering news stories and following stars like McDavid, Matthews and Alex Ovechkin, among others.

Abhilasha is a huge fan of the Edmonton Oilers and Colorado Avalanche because of their skilled forwards, while her favorite players include Wayne Gretzky, Auston Matthews, Connor McDavid, Sidney Crosby and Connor Bedard. For her, John Tortorella is the greatest coach ever.

Abhilasha has over 3 years of experience writing content for different products and websites, along with handling social media content for various brands. She values using credible sources when writing and likes to identify fake and false narratives.

Abhilasha’s hobbies include spiritual reading, staying updated on the latest makeup trends, fitness and exploring new destinations through travel.

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Edited by John Maxwell