Ken Holland’s time is up.
Just three days after falling to the Panthers in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup final, the organization confirmed that it would not be renewing the general manager’s contract, which was in its final month in June.
The Oilers CEO of hockey operations Jeff Jackson reportedly said that the decision was mutual.
Holland’s job security was in question throughout the season and only intensified throughout the playoffs.
“Over the past five seasons as general manager, Ken has not only built the Edmonton Oilers into one of the NHL’s best teams, but he has also established a deeply rooted foundation of success and a culture of winning that will continue well into the future,” Jackson said in a statement Thursday. “Thanks in large part for Ken’s outstanding work, Edmonton has become a destination city for players around the National Hockey League.”
With stars Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid, the Oilers hoped their hiring of Holland would build a roster that could bring home their first Stanley Cup since 1990.
Holland made efforts to do so, bringing in forwards Warren Foegele, Zach Hyman and Evander Kane to bolster the offense and Cody Ceci, Mattias Ekholm and Brett Kulak on defense.
Hyman scored 54 goals this season and Foegele notched a career-high 20 goals and 41 points. Kane also scored 24 goals in an injury-marred season.
The Oilers also fired head coach Jay Woodcroft after a 2-9-1 start to the season and brought in Kris Knoblauch to turn things around.
Under Knoblauch, the Oilers went 46-18-5 — the best NHL record since his Nov. 12 hiring.
However, it wasn’t enough to win the title no matter the five playoff runs that came in each season under Holland.
The Oilers still fell short by a game after a 3-0 hole and naturally, the shortcoming led to questions about the franchise’s future.
Prior to joining Edmonton, Holland was a part of the Red Wings in numerous roles across 34 seasons, such as general manager starting in the 1997-98 season.
He won three Stanley Cups in Detroit.
The Oilers have $10.033 million in cap space this offseason and have 10 unrestricted free agents, such as Foegele. They also have two pending restricted free agents in Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg.
As a result, the roster is left with seven forwards, five defensemen, and two goalies under contract.
