Paraphrasing Charles Dickens: «A Tale of Two Cities» Being in charge of a team with such a passionate fan base like the Edmonton Oilers can be the best of times. Unfortunately, it can also be the worst of times. In a market like Edmonton, moves are scrutinized and analyzed as if they were unknown hieroglyphics in the «Da Vinci Code.» With that in mind, upon announcing his departure, here are the three best and worst moves Ken Holland made as General Manager of the Edmonton Oilers.
Ken Holland decides to leave the position of general manager of the Edmonton Oilers
Mattias Ekholm arrived at the Oilers in a surprise trade at the deadline with the Nashville Predators in 2023. Before his arrival, the team had a strong offensive performance but struggled to keep the puck out of their own net. Ekholm had an immediate impact. In the last 18 games of the season after his acquisition, the team had a record of 14-0-4.
Ekholm had finally given the Oilers a defensive identity. But that didn’t mean sacrificing offense. Not for the team. Not even for himself. The following year, 2023-24, while stabilizing the team defensively, the 34-year-old defenseman set a personal NHL record of 45 points (11 goals, 34 assists) in 79 regular-season games and ten points (five goals, five assists) in 25 playoff games.
Another key aspect of Ekholm’s acquisition was the emergence of Evan Bouchard. Before the trade for Ekholm, the Oilers’ power play was led by the outgoing Tyson Barrie. Barrie had the league’s highest total power play points for defensemen. There was nothing to worry about. This opened up a spot for the blocked Bouchard. All he did was surpass Barrie’s totals. More importantly, Bouchard was paired with Ekholm in the team’s top pairing. Under Ekholm’s guidance, Bouchard learned to balance and develop a more complete game. Prior to his pairing with Ekholm, Bouchard was criticized for his lack of intensity, defensive coverage, and fans were actively calling for him to be traded. Suddenly, paired with Ekholm, he had quickly become a Norris Trophy candidate. As Oilers’ Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations Jeff Jackson said,
Zach Hyman made the leap from complementary player to scorer. The signing of Hyman as a free agent in 2021 has been hailed as the best free-agent signing in a decade. Hyman, who was already a good player with the Toronto Maple Leafs, became a great player in Edmonton. From 21 goals (his career high) and 41 points, he moved up to 54 and 83, respectively.
The best moments: the acquisition of Mattias Ekholm, Zach Hyman, and Kris Knoblauch
«Shaq» Hyman is the Oilers’ version of «Gritty.» With a very reasonable contract of $5.5 million per year, Hyman quickly became Connor McDavid’s top-line winger. Even in his early days with the Leafs, Hyman was nicknamed «Shaq» for the overwhelming number of goals he scored near the blue paint. Much like his namesake, NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal. Hyman’s versatility and consistency helped bolster the Oilers’ forward group, which ranks among the top six in the league. Few in the league are as strong with the puck or on the boards as Hyman, at both ends of the ice. He brings grit, scoring ability, and a tireless work ethic to the Oilers. His contributions are much greater than just his scoring totals.
For Knoblauch, much like Bowman, all he has done is win. The Oilers started their 2023-24 season with a record of 3-9-1. It was the worst record in Oilers history in the first 13 games of a season. This from a team that claimed before the season that it was «Cup or bust.» Something had to give. Head coach Jay Woodcroft was fired. Knoblauch was brought in. All the team did under Knoblauch was finish the season with a record of 69 games, 46-18-0-5. Soon after his arrival, the team went on a 16-game winning streak, on the verge of tying the Pittsburgh Penguins’ NHL record of 17. He is the first head coach in league history to have two seven-game winning streaks in his first 25 games in charge.
