Connor McDavid, Oilers catch a break as NHL shuts down investigation on former teammate after suspicious designation

With the NHL finalizing its investigation into the Edmonton Oilers for a long-term injured reserve (LTIR) designation, Connor McDavid and company can finally turn the page on last season. Now, all efforts can be put into the upcoming campaign, where the goal remains the same in Alberta.

The Oilers won’t stop chasing their first Stanley Cup since 1990. Despite how many times McDavid and company stumble, the fans won’t ever lose hope. Still, there’s only so many times the fanbase will be willing to take heartbreak. The last two NHL seasons will forever sting in Edmonton, but it’s time to move on.

On that note, even the NHL is reportedly letting go of last campaign’s events. The league had launched an investigation into Evander Kane’s designation on LTIR prior to his return for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. However, that has now been concluded, and the Oilers may walk away unscathed.

“[Deputy commissioner] Bill Daly says the book has been closed on the NHL’s examination of the Oilers for Evander Kane’s LTIR situation last regular season/playoffs,” as reported by Michael Russo on X.

Evander Kane at Rogers Place on June 03, 2025.

Can’t hide

Although Evander Kane was traded to the Vancouver Canucks, if the investigation launched by the NHL had come across condemning evidence, the sanction would’ve affected both the player and his former club. The Canucks had their concerns, but they wouldn’t have been affected directly because of the examination.

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Tick-tock

While news that the NHL has shut down the investigation into Kane’s LTIR designation is welcome, Edmonton only really cares about one issue in particular: re-signing McDavid. So far, little progress has been made.

“They have not really engaged in talks to this point, to my knowledge,” Frank Seravalli said on Bleacher Report’s Insider Notebook.

However, fans remain calm, as this isn’t expected to be a long negotiation—or a negotiation at all. As soon as McDavid decides to put pen to paper, the deal will be done, and the Oilers can resume their everyday routines in the NHL.