The Edmonton Oilers said goodbye on social media to five former players on Thursday. Making sure to thank Connor Brown, John Klingberg, Viktor Arvidsson, Derek Ryan, and Corey Perry, there was no mention of Evander Kane or Jeff Skinner. It’s a decision that has caught some fans off guard, and leads to some intriguing questions.
In the case of Evander Kane, why was he left out? Technically, he was only left out of this post. Back on June 25th, the Oilers sent a special thank you to Kane after he was traded to the Vancouver Canucks. In that post, they wrote, “Thank you, @evanderkane, for your contributions to the #Oilers & in the Oil Country community over the last four seasons!”
One could logically assume that because they’d already thanked him, he wasn’t included in this post. Any suggestion that the team had an issue with Kane and that’s why he was left out of the post is not accurate.
As far as Jeff Skinner goes, the explanation for leaving him out is less obvious. Some have wondered if it means the door isn’t entirely closed on Skinner returning. That might be overanalyzing what’s really going on, even if it’s technically true.
Skinner hasn’t signed anywhere, so the reality is, he could return. That doesn’t seem to be in the cards based on the way things played out last season, but until he’s signed to a new deal with a new team, there’s always a chance the two sides could circle back. If the Oilers were to include him in this goodbye post, that essentially closes the door on the possibility.
This Oilers Team Looks Much Different
If the post does anything, it demonstrates how much turnover there was this summer. These five players, plus Kane and Skinner equates to seven players now gone. That’s a massive chunk of the depth from last season’s roster, and it’s got many fans wondering if this version of the team will be as competitive as the 2024-25 squad.
The only replacements the Oilers have signed are Andrew Mangiapane and Curtis Lazar. To say it’s been a slow start to free agency would be an understatement.
