Evander Kane's fresh start in Vancouver is giving his new teammates and coaches a lot to look forward to.
The 34-year-old winger was dealt to the Canucks this offseason after helping the Edmonton Oilers reach back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals in 2024 and 2025.
His 930 regular-season games of experience, dating back to his rookie year with the now-defunct Atlanta Thrashers, and recent Game 7 encounters aren't all what the club is excited to welcome as it eyes a return to the playoffs after a disappointing 2024-25.
"He can definitely play a role for us in that leadership element, and he brings a lot to our team that we feel is going to help us," Canucks assistant coach Brett McLean said during Day 2 of the team's training camp in Penticton on Sept. 19.
"We really like when he brings that attitude that he's brought here, and he can bring that swagger to our team here, too. Every team needs it, if you want to be a good team, you've got to a have an edge to you, and have a belief to you."
Kane skated on a line Friday with forwards Connor Garland and Filip Chytil, who suited up in just 15 games with Vancouver last season due to injury after being sent to B.C. in the J.T. Miller trade with New York.
"We've had a good couple of practices together," Chytil said of Kane, his potential linemate in the Canucks' top-six forward group. "It's working so far, and we have to build that chemistry."
Vancouver marks the fifth franchise for Kane, who missed all of the 2024-2025 regular season after undergoing knee surgery in January. The former first-round pick returned to the Oilers' lineup in time for their extended playoff run, where he scored six goals and 12 points in 21 games.
"He's an experienced player, plays a physical game, and can score goals," Chytil said. "That's the player every team needs, and I think we are very happy that we have him here."
The Canucks arrived in Penticton on Thursday for training camp, which runs at the South Okanagan Events Centre (SOEC) until Sept. 21.
Besides Kane, another change with Vancouver this season is behind the bench with the elevation of Adam Foote to head coach.
Foote, an assistant with the Canucks from 2022 to 2025, pegged his two star forwards, Elias Pettersson and Brock Boeser, with Jake DeBrusk on the Canucks' first line on Thursday and Friday in Penticton.
That combination, along with Kane's aforementioned potential linemates, could take shape when the club holds its annual training camp scrimmage on Saturday. Puck drop is at noon.
"We're going to experiment and maybe it will work," Foote said of his early line combinations. "If it works, it works, and if it doesn't, we'll try something else. That's all we can do — see if we can get them some rhythm."
Vancouver's scrimmage will precede a morning skate on Sunday at the SOEC. However, some of its roster will already be off to Seattle as the Canucks gear up for the start of the pre-season on Sunday evening at Climate Pledge Arena against the Kraken.
The team's lineup for its pre-season opener has yet to be released.
