Rumour: Oilers' Next GM has been Revealed

Toronto Sun reporter Steve Simmons reported today that the Oilers are planning on moving on from general manager Ken Holland this offseason.

Interestingly, the phrasing here would imply that Holland will be leaving the position voluntarily. Given how poorly the Oilers season has gone so far, many in the hockey world believe he should not just be fired, but he should be fired immediately. Letting him stick around to make futile moves in an effort to make the playoffs could backfire on the team.

There is no denying that being the general manager of an NHL team is not an easy job. That being said, Ken Holland was gifted an embarrassment of riches in Edmonton as he's had two of the best players in the league to work with and he still has not found a way to build a convincing Stanley Cup contender. Meanwhile, other teams have found similar if not more success with less talent to work with.

The biggest problem the Oilers have faced this year has been goaltending. Holland infamously passed on goaltender Jesper Wallstedt at the draft in 2021. He probably wished he had such a good goaltending prospect to fall back on right now.

It remains to be seen how the Oilers will tackle the rest of this season. Will they embrace a short-term retool? What will McDavid and Draisaitl think of that? Can they still make the playoffs? There are many tough questions the Oilers have to ask themselves right now.

As seen on Edmonton Oilers Rumors: New GM Already In the Works?