NHL insider reveals surprising future for former Oilers general manager Ken Holland

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Graham Montgomery
October 27, 2024 (11:52)

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NHL insider Elliotte Friedman revealed today that former Oilers general manager Ken Holland has been offered a position in the league.

According to the insider, the league's Hockey Operations department has effectively offered him a role, but he did not specify what that role would be.

"If he does not find something he likes with a team, NHL Hockey Operations has asked Ken Holland if he'd be interested in a role with the league."

Last month it came out that the Utah Hockey Club offered Hollard a position during training camp, but apparently, he refused. Perhaps this is why. Maybe he sees a position with the league itself as being better than with an individual team at this point. Perhaps that would be a natural progression for his career.

A few days ago, Holland was spotted hanging out in the NHL situation room observing how everything works. A the time, this felt like just a random thing, but know it appears as though there could be more to it. Perhaps he was there because he really is looking at getting a job with the league and he wants to familiarize himself with how things work.

Given how the Oilers have worked out, maybe his skillset would be better served inside the league office. Yes he got the team into the Stanley Cup final last season, but that came after years of struggles despite the once-in-a-generation level of talent the team has had in Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. How often do we see teams genuinely have two top-three players in the league? And yet, they still have no cups and now Holland has moved on.

One could argue that Holland simply got unlucky in Edmonton and there may be some truth to that. However, that does not really make up for the years of mediocrity he created, wasting so many years of McDavid's career.