NHL winger Evander Kane says he's moving from Oilers to Canucks

Edmonton Oilers left wing Evander Kane (91) and Florida Panthers center Sam Bennett (9) go after the puck during the third period of Game 4 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Final Thursday, June 12, 2025, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

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The Edmonton Oilers have dealt Evander Kane to the Vancouver Canucks for a fourth-round draft pick. 

Kane broke news of the trade Wednesday morning, posting a goodbye on social media.

"As my time with the @EdmontonOilers has now come to a close, I want to take a moment to sincerely thank the entire organization, my teammates, and the incredible community of Edmonton," the post read.

"I’m incredibly excited for the next chapter of my career as I join the @Canucks. It’s an honour to become part of an organization and team I grew up watching as a kid."

Both the Canucks and Oilers later issued releases on the trade, which sees Vancouver receive the 33-year-old Kane while Edmonton gets a fourth-round pick (117th overall) in this week's NHL entry draft. 

"Evander is a physical power forward who will add some much-needed size and toughness to our group," Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin said in a statement. 

"We like the way he wins puck battles along the boards and handles himself in the dirty areas in front of the net. Evander moves well around the ice and has proven to be a productive goal scorer in the National Hockey League. We are excited to bring him back home to Vancouver and our staff looks forward to working with him this coming season."

There is one year left on the four-year, US$20.5-million deal Kane signed with Edmonton as a free agent in January 2022.

He did not play a single regular-season game in the 2024-25 campaign as he recovered from surgeries to repair both abductors, two hernias, two abdominal tears and a knee injury.

The six-foot-two, 218-pound forward joined the Oilers for Game 2 of their first-round playoff series against the L.A. Kings and contributed six goals and six assists in 21 post-season games before Edmonton fell to the Florida Panthers in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup final. 

Hailing from Vancouver, he played junior hockey for the Western Hockey League's Vancouver Giants before getting picked fourth overall by the Thrashers in the 2009 draft. 

Kane has played 16 seasons in the NHL, logging time with Atlanta, Winnipeg, Buffalo, San Jose and Edmonton. 

He has 326 goals and 291 assists over 930 regular-season games, and another 55 points (32 goals, 23 assists) in 97 playoff appearances. 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 25, 2025.

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