NHL Clears Edmonton Oilers in Evander Kane LTIR Investigation

The NHL has officially closed its investigation into the Edmonton Oilers' use of long-term injured reserve (LTIR) last season for forward Evander Kane, finding no violations of salary cap rules. Deputy commissioner Bill Daly confirmed the Oilers will face no penalties after reviewing the medical documentation related to Kane's abdominal and knee surgeries and confirming the timing of his LTIR placement aligned with his recovery. Kane missed the entire regular season but returned during the playoffs, where he contributed significantly before being traded to the Vancouver Canucks. The Oilers used Kane’s $5.125 million cap hit on LTIR to make key roster additions at the trade deadline, a practice that has prompted the NHL and NHLPA to introduce new rules closing the LTIR loophole starting in the 2025-26 season, including a new playoff salary cap. This change aims to prevent teams from activating players off LTIR in the postseason while exceeding the salary cap, a tactic previously used by other teams such as the Vegas Golden Knights and Tampa Bay Lightning. The investigation into the Oilers reflects the league's increased scrutiny of LTIR usage, though no team has yet been penalized under the current cap era.