How Evander Kane Trade Potentially Impacts His Fantasy Hockey Value

The first significant change has arrived for the two-time Western Conference champion Edmonton Oilers.

The Oilers announced the team agreed to trade left wing Evander Kane to the Vancouver Canucks for a 2025 fourth-round pick. With the move, Edmonton cleared Kane's entire $5.125 million cap hit for 2025-26.

Kane, who will turn 34 years old in August, will play out the final year of his contract for his hometown team.

The wing departs Edmonton having posted 62 goals and 111 points with a plus-17 rating in 161 games across three seasons. Kane also registered 198 PIM, 518 shots on goal, 13 power-play points and 509 hits.

The Canucks will be Kane's fifth team. In addition to the Oilers, he has also played for the Atlanta Thrashers/Winnipeg Jets, San Jose Sharks and Buffalo Sabres.

Let's take an early look at what Kane's fantasy hockey value could be in Vancouver next season.

How Canucks Trade for Evander Kane Impacts His Fantasy Hockey Value

During 2024-25, Kane was about as valuable as he's ever been in the categories where he's thrived during his NHL career. In 77 games, Kane scored 24 goals and 44 points with a minus-4 rating. He also had 85 PIM and 250 hits.

Then in 21 postseason contests, Kane registered six goals, 12 points, a plus-4 rating, 44 PIM and 95 hits.

Kane has and will always be best in the physical categories for rotisserie fantasy hockey. The left winger was somewhat more disciplined with the Oilers (minus the 2025 Stanley Cup Finals). During two seasons with the Sharkes from 2018-20, Kane led the league in PIM.

But Kane hasn't had a season where he averaged under one penalty minute per game since 2011-12.

Teams obviously don't add players because they want them to spend time in the box. But it doesn't sound like Vancouver wants Kane to be any less physical than he's been.

“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 after the trade. “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.”

If fantasy managers want a physical winger with the potential to score 20 goals, Kane is a great addition.

The left wing has surpassed 20 goals in every season but one over the past decade.

With Vancouver, though, Kane won't have the opportunity to play with superstars like Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. So, fantasy managers should probably expect Kane's plus/minus to be much closer to his career norm.

Kane has been a minus player everywhere except Edmonton. He's a minus-4 player in his career on an 82-game average basis.

The other big question about Kane is his health. He played 77 games in 2023-24, but that was the first time since 2018-19 he dressed for more than 64 contests.

Kane's physicality leads to injuries. When he's on the ice, he's a menace. Kane just hasn't always been available as much as fantasy managers would like.

But if managers are willing to accept the injury risk and the liability he is defensively, Kane should once again be a solid goals contributor and an elite option in the PIM and hits categories with Vancouver.