When Steve Yzerman was announced as the Red Wings' new general manager, Detroit's former GM Ken Holland sat alongside him and said that he would be staying on as senior vice president. Holland, who was with the Red Wings as general manager since 1997, had signed a two-year extension before the end of last year.
However, Holland will not be working with Yzerman because he has reportedly agreed to terms with the Oilers to become their GM, per SportsNet's John Shannon,
One of the hardest parts of Holland's job is already done, of course, as the Oilers have a generational superstar in Connor McDavid. He has 100-plus points in each of his past three seasons, and he notched a career-high 116 points last season. The Oilers, however, have faltered in recent seasons, missing the playoffs the past two years in spite of the emergence of another star in Leon Draisaitl last season.
The Oilers fired Todd McLellan just 20 games into last season and Ken Hitchcock took over on the bench, while GM Peter Chiarelli was let go off in January. Keith Gretzky has been the Oilers' interim GM since Chiarelli's firing.
With this in mind, Holland brings a pedigree of success to the Oilers. The Wings won the Stanley Cup in his first season in 1997, and they won two more during his tenure. Though the team has been rebuilding in the past three seasons (and the Oilers' roster as it stands is a far cry from the '97 Red Wings), Holland's experience with winning could help the Oilers in the immediate future, particularly with the talent they already have.
It won't be an easy, but -- outside of a brutal contract to Milan Lucic -- Holland is inheriting a relatively blank slate. Although in his later years Holland was criticized for how he handled veteran contracts in Detroit, he should have plenty to work with in Edmonton.
The Oilers' 2016-17 playoff appearance was their first since 2006, so it's obvious why frustrations are high. They need consistency. The hope is that Holland can bring that. Though he'll need some time to build out his team, the core pieces are there. Patience for Holland probably won't run as long as it will for Yzerman in Detroit, but with two 100-plus point scorers on the team it may not take long if the correct decisions are made.
