Evander Kane and Darnell Nurse likely to miss start of Oilers training camp with injury: Reports

By Ankit Kumar

Modified Sep 12, 2024 15:55 GMT

Evander Kane and Darnell Nurse are expected to miss the start of the Edmonton Oilers' training camp due to injuries. NHL analyst Tom Gazzola reported that both players will be sidelined at the beginning of camp.

Gazzola shared the update on:

"Hearing that Evander Kane & Darnell Nurse are expected to start training camp on the shelf due to injury. Nurse has been on the ice for informal skates & continues to heal up a lingering injury from the playoffs. The projection is he will be good to go later in camp."

Kane played last season with a sports hernia and underwent surgery to fix the issue. His recovery could take several months, so his return date is uncertain. Previously, Insider Elliotte Friedman predicted the same:

"I believe that decision has been made, eventually, he will have the surgery, and he’s going to be out months. I’m not talking one or two months, I’m thinking it’s going to be longer than that."

Darnell Nurse is recovering from an injury he sustained during the playoffs. He has been skating informally but is still healing. The Oilers expect Nurse to return later in training camp.

Both players are important to the Oilers. Kane provides scoring power paired with an enforcer role, and Nurse is a key defender. The Oilers hope both players recover before the season picks up speed.

Edmonton Oilers will likely put Evander Kane on LTIR before the season starts

The Edmonton Oilers will likely start the 2024-25 season without forward Evander Kane. Kane will be unavailable for the initial few games. He missed five playoff games due to sports hernia.

The Oiler later lost in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup finals, missing their chance to lift the Stanley Cup

This season, considering Kane's unavailability, placing Kane on long-term injured reserve (LTIR) will give the Oilers financial flexibility. His $5.125 million cap hit will be temporarily removed, helping the team stay under the salary cap.

Kane’s performance has declined recently. Last season, he had 44 points in 77 games, his lowest points-per-game since 2015-16. He also led the Oilers in hits with 250 but struggled with injuries over the past two seasons.

Despite a no-movement clause in his contract, the Oilers will benefit from LTIR while Kane recovers. They might try to acquire some defensive players to bolster their fort.