A year ago, the Oilers brought in Jeff Jackson to oversee the club’s hockey operations. Notably, Jackson is the former agent of Connor McDavid.
At that time, GM Ken Holland had only one year left on his contract, and as you know, having a manager in the final year of their contract can be a tricky situation.
Instead of extending Holland’s contract, the Oilers placed a new boss above him, which wasn’t an ideal start. Holland, who no longer has the same aura he had during his tenure with the Red Wings, likely didn’t appreciate this move and seemed to be living on borrowed time in Edmonton.
Recently, there hasn’t been much discussion about this as the Oilers have been focused on the Stanley Cup. However, it’s now becoming a pressing issue, as Holland’s contract expires on June 30.
It’s evident that the Oilers don’t intend to retain him as GM. Holland hasn’t been involved in contract discussions with the club and isn’t expected to attend the upcoming draft, which is tomorrow. According to Elliotte Friedman (Sportsnet) and his sources, the Oilers will let Holland’s contract expire, making him a free agent in a few days.
Is this surprising? Not really.
Will Holland be sought after elsewhere? If so, it won’t be as a GM in the short term since all 31 active NHL teams currently have someone in that role. However, keep an eye on the Blackhawks, who might offer him a different position, according to Scottie Upshall.
This means the Oilers will be entering a crucial offseason (including the draft and free agency) without a GM in place. It’s unlikely they’ll find a replacement by next Monday.
Thus, Jeff Jackson will be running the show, which makes sense given the circumstances.
Overtime
– Gary Bettman is free to bring hockey back to Arizona with anyone he pleases. That might not occur immediately, though. You know, the arena problem still exists.
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