Edmonton Oilers' forward Evander Kane undergoes successful surgery; thanks doctors and nurses on social media

On Friday, Kane posted to his Instagram page showing himself in good spirits after surgery, giving a big smile and a thumbs up while mugging for the camera:

Kane has been riddled with injuries for the majority of his career including cracked ribs with the Buffalo Sabres, an ankle injury with the Winnipeg Jets, and an undisclosed upper body injury with San Jose and while he's been a solid contributor when he's on the ice, he also tends to get himself broiled in controversy, especially in Winnipeg.

Kane, even when he isn't always on the ice, contributes when he is healthy. He's scored 66 goals in 161 games; not bad output for a bruising power forward, and if he can finally get himself back into a healthy and consistent routine, he would be a big asset to an already dominant Edmonton Oilers squad.

For his career, he's scored 326 goals and 291 assists in 930 games; clearly his talent is there but if he could just find a way to stay healthy, those numbers could explode. Kane has only played 75 or more games twice in his career, and has several seasons with under 60 games played. His best season came with the Winnipeg Jets where he had 30 goals and 27 assists and playing in 74 games; not exactly a full season but it shows where he can be if he plays the majority of the year.

Kane has been very solid in the playoffs especially for the Edmonton Oilers where he's played 47 games and put up 20 goals and 10 assists; very good numbers and shows that Kane is vital to the success of his team in the postseason. He also made a big impact for the San Jose Sharks, scoring 2 goals in his playoff debut and has managed a respectable 43 points in 76 games; though he's missed a few games due to various misconducts including a suspension for a hit on Nazem Kadri. Edmonton needs him to be healthy and smart with how he plays in order for them to maximize their success.

While it will be awhile before we see Kane on the ice for the Oilers, and won't be on LTIR, it's a huge positive to see the surgeries being successful, and that Kane can start to get back on track and have the career he was projected to have.