NHL Rumors: Oilers, Canucks, Canadiens

In today’s NHL rumors, the Edmonton Oilers have decided to ride Evander Kane until they get the version of the player that they know can show up in the playoffs. How expensive is Dakota Joshua going to be for the Vancouver Canucks if they want to re-sign him? Finally, Arber Xhekaj is done for the season, requiring surgery.

Are the Oilers Players Working Over Evander Kane?

Elliotte Friedman noted on his latest 32 Thoughts podcast that the Edmonton Oilers may have a plan when it comes to Evander Kane and it’s the players and leadership on the team leading the charge on getting him prepared. Friedman believes the likes of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl have decided that the players with stroke on the roster are the ones that are going to have to get in Evander Kane’s face and force him to play the way they know he can.

Friedman explained:

My theory is that the Oilers know if they’re going to be successful in the playoffs, they need Evander Kane. And they don’t just need him to be moderately engaged. They need big pain in the ass Evander Kane. They need top four checker in the league Evander Kane. And I think they’ve just decided that they are going to ride him until he gets there. It’s going to be tough love and it’s not going to be the coach who’s going to do it, it’s going to be the players who are going to do it. And they are saying, “If we want to win the Stanley Cup this year, we need a great Evander Kane and we are taking the responsibility of making sure he gets there.” Because one thing about [Kevin Bieksa] he said is that Perry doesn’t do that a lot. So my theory, and I got a lot of theories, but my theory is McDavid and Draisaitl have gone to Perry and said, “We need your help with this because you, in addition to us, you also have the gravitas as a veteran player to go to him.”

This is an interesting theory and it could explain why both Draisaitl and Perry got on Kane’s case. Because head coach Kris Knoblauch is not a fiery guy and the Oilers believe they can get Kane on course, the players may have taken this upon themselves.

Canucks Will Have to Pay Dakota Joshua

According to Thomas Drance of The Athletic, Dakota Joshua‘s responsibilities with the Vancouver Canucks have grown significantly this season. While previously a penalty killer, he now sees time on the power play and in the top six. This is going to cost the Canucks if they intend to keep Joshua around.

Drance writes:

Given Joshua’s performance and the overall rarity of his profile — particularly his size and ability to both produce offensively and play a grinding, heavy style of game — his next cap hit is going to be at least three or four times as expensive as his current $800,000 deal.

source – ‘Canucks notebook: Quinn Hughes’ brilliance, Dakota Joshua’s value, Arturs Silovs’ steadiness’ – Thomas Drance – The Athletic – 04/04/2024

Comparable contracts include Nick Paul’s seven-year deal with the Lightning worth $3.15 million per year and Pierre Engvall’s seven-year contract with the Islanders valued at $3 million annually. There is chatter that Joshua would like to stay with the Canucks and might take a slight discount to make it all work.

Arber Xhekaj Out for Remainder of the Season

It’s not a long time since there are only a handful of games remaining, but defender Arber Xhekaj will undergo season-ending surgery on his left shoulder tomorrow, reports the Montreal Canadiens. In their statement, they note that he should be ready for the start of next season.

It’s certainly not ideal that Xhekaj will have had both his shoulders operated on in back-to-back years.