Matheson: What's next for Edmonton Oilers GM Ken Holland?

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The Edmonton Oilers fell short of their sixth Stanley Cup—first in 34 years—and now some of the people who got them close to top of the mountain might not be back next year.

We’ll assume this was GM Ken Holland’s last kick at the can here, with his five-year $25 million contract running out June 30 and no outward signs that either owner Daryl Katz or CEO Jeff Jackson wants the Hall of Fame manager back. There was no extension, even for one year as a good faith gesture, when Jackson was brought in last summer.

It appears the team wants to go in another direction.

“Not sure what’s going on there. I mean, Kenny still has the fire. What more could he do since he’s been there?” said an outside NHL executive.

Holland, 68, hasn’t talked about his Oilers future since the season started, and certainly he stepped aside since the playoffs started two months ago. He didn’t want his situation to become a distraction. Maybe he doesn’t want to be back after joining the Oilers in 2019 as general manager after Keith Gretzky assumed the interim tag when Peter Chiarelli was fired by then team president Bob Nicholson.

Maybe this is Holland’s call to look for something else. But, if not, the organization has left a guy with three Cup rings as a GM, and one very close call, hanging. Maybe the organization rethinks the manager’s job with the Oilers getting so close after nine playoff rounds over the last three years.

If not, and they want to go with a younger guy, so be it.

Between now and Holland’s contract running out, who is doing the negotiating with agents on Oilers players whose contracts run out? Or with Leon Draisaitl, starting July 1, on an extension?

Jackson, most likely, with Holland in limbo.

Jackson was Connor McDavid’s agent. He negotiated his eight-year $100 million deal in 2017.

While Holland may be leaving—is there any chance he would resurface in Detroit to take Jimmy Devellano’s job as a senior advisor to GM Steve Yzerman?—some of the players might be going too.

Oilers list of free agents

The Oilers have $10-million in cap space going into the next season. Here’s the list of unrestricted free-agents with the doors opening July 1:

• Centre Adam Henrique, acquired at the trade deadline from Anaheim.

• Winger Warren Foegele, acquired from Carolina for Ethan Bear, and finishing his three years here on left-wing with Draisaitl on the second line.

• Defenceman Vincent Desharnais, who was a regular right-shot contributor all season and for much of the playoffs until Philip Broberg took his spot.

• Winger Connor Brown. He didn’t score a regular-season goal until 50-plus games in but he was very good in the playoffs, with his legs and his hands back.

• Right-shot centre Sam Carrick, who came from the Ducks for his toughness and face-off ability, played 10 post-season games, rotating with Derek Ryan. Ryan, the second oldest Oiler to Corey Perry, played 18.

• Winger Mattias Janmark. He was signed for $1.25 million on a one-year deal as a free-agent two years ago, then took a team friendly $1 million this season, a bargain considering his playoff showing. At 31, he might re-sign in Edmonton for the same money but he would want a two-year deal.

• Backup goalie Calvin Pickard, who was outstanding in his 23 games with a 2.45 average and .909 save percentage. He was on the league minimum but he’s a $1.5 million back-up at the very least.

• Perry is 39 and he’s been working on low-money deals for years now. But, unless he wants to take $775,000 and be a 50-game player next year, would they do that?

• Blueliner Troy Stecher, a trade deadline pick-up from Arizona, who was the No. 7 guy going into the playoffs but he got a cyst on his ankle and he had surgery to remove it.

Foegele, 27, made $2.75 million but after a career regular-season (20 goals, 41 points) some team is probably going to give him $3.5 million or higher for three or four years. There have been no real negotiations on a new deal. Oilers have restricted free-agent Dylan Holloway, who had a cap hit of $925,000 this season, to likely take his LW spot in the $1.25 million range. Term to be determined.

Henrique fit in perfectly with Janmark and Brown as a third line in the final series after being moved around and being hurt (leg issue) in the last game of the Los Angeles Kings first-round match-up, then missing all but one game in round 2. He was on a $5.825 million cap hit with the Ducks. His age (34) makes him a risky free-agent buy for big money, but he might get $4 million a year for three years from another team if they see him as a 2LW, not as a 3C.

Desharnais is a key keeper with his 6’7” size, long reach and ability to kill penalties. He was beaten out by Broberg who can play right side or left so that doesn’t mean the Oilers wouldn’t trade fellow right-shot D Cody Ceci ($3.25 million) this summer to open a spot for Desharnais. He had a $762.500 cap hit this year. Could they re-sign him for $1.5 million cap hit for two or three years? Or will somebody else step up and offer $2 million or more? He’s 27, and hasn’t had a big payday yet as an NHLer.

The Oilers are on the hook for Brown’s $3.25 million on next season’s cap as a games played bonus for this past season. They’re responsible for it; the bonus doesn’t travel if he signs somewhere else. Some team’s going to give him $2 million based off his playoff. Can the Oilers afford that, plus his bonus? Not a chance.

The Oilers also have the Jack Campbell goalie situation looming large. He is two years into his five-year, $25 million deal. He was beaten out by Stuart Skinner in his first year as the season wore on and spent all but the first month of this season in Bakersfield. They can buy him out at two-thirds of the $15 million left, which is $1.5 million on the cap for the next six seasons.

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