A few weeks ago, Oilers President Jeff Jackson mentioned that Kane had been dealing with a hip injury and was still being evaluated to determine the best course of action regarding his contract situation. The team is reportedly looking to trade Kane to save costs and create cap space for other signings, as his $5.125 million salary is significant, especially if he's not fully healthy.
If the Oilers can't trade Kane or if he refuses to waive his NTC, they might consider placing him on long-term injured reserve, which would remove his salary from the cap. Kane's NTC remains in effect until February 28, 2025, when it decreases to only 15 teams. This means the Oilers could wait until the trade deadline and then try to make a deal with half of the league's teams.