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The Oilers won’t be finding a replacement for Evander Kane
TSN: Pierre LeBrun on Insider Trading on if the Edmonton Oilers are going to go out and find a replacement for Evander Kane, who will be out for three to four months.
“That’s not going to happen for a number of reasons. First, that player is not available but more specifically it’s a CBA reason. Kane is going to come back in February or March if all goes well and they need that cap number on the books for him to come back so they can’t go out and spend those cap savings.
It’s no different than the Colorado Avalanche living without captain Gabriel Landeskog and winger Valeri Nichushkin right now. When you get an injury this early in the season that’s this significant, it’s the worst timing of all for a team that’s close to the cap. Edmonton has to rely on their depth and obviously, they’ve recalled forwards Mattias Janmark and Klim Kostin.”
Three centers who could be available before the trade deadline
Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic: There could be some movement with the St. Louis Blues if they don’t turn things around soon. Ryan O’Reilly and Vladimir Tarasenko are pending UFAs. Teams could come calling on O’Reilly closer to the trade deadline. The Blues and O’Reilly’s camp had planned on talking again in the New Year about an extension but there may not be one for the soon to be 32 year old. O’Reilly carries a $7.5 million cap hit, so the Blues may need to retain salary or get a third team involved.
27-year-old Bo Horvat is another center that could become available if the Canucks don’t get back to looking like a playoff team. He carries a $5.5 million cap hit and has no trade protection. It wouldn’t be a surprise if some non-playoff teams have an interest in hopes of getting him to sign an extension with them.
Chicago Blackhawks Patrick Kane will draw more interest, but Jonathan Toews could be another sought-after center. The 34-year-old has seven goals in 12 games entering last night. He’s got a full no-movement clause and a $10.5 million cap hit, so a third team may need to get involved.
The Colorado Avalanche could have interest in O’Reilly, Horvat and Toews. All could be fits on their second line. Horvat would cost the most out of the three, including a first-round pick. Montreal Canadiens Sean Monahan could be another center the Avs look at.