Oilers, GM Ken Holland Part Ways After 2024 NHL Stanley Cup Final Run
Jun 27, 2024
EDMONTON, CANADA - JANUARY 22: Ken Holland speaks at the Corey Perry free agent signing press conference at Rogers Place on January 22, 2024, in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. (Photo by Andy Devlin/NHLI via Getty Images)
After losing to the Florida Panthers in the 2024 Stanley Cup Final in seven games, the Edmonton Oilers will have a change to their front office.
Per ESPN's Ryan S. Clark, the Oilers confirmed that they will not renew the contract of general manager Ken Holland, ending his tenure in the role after five seasons.
Holland had been in the final month of his contract. Oilers CEO of hockey operations Jeff Jackson said that the decision not to renew his deal was mutual.
"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. "Thanks in large part for Ken's outstanding work, Edmonton has become a destination city for players around the National Hockey League."
Holland joined the Oilers in 2019 after spending 34 seasons with the Detroit Red Wings in numerous front-office roles, including general manager since 1997. He helped guide Detroit to three Stanley Cup victories during his tenure, earning an induction to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2020.
The Oilers reached the playoffs in all five seasons under Holland and made it to the Stanley Cup Final this year for the first time since 2006. Despite facing a 3-0 series deficit, Edmonton fought back to force a decisive Game 7 but fell short in a 2-1 loss.
The Oilers still have a window to contend for a championship thanks to the star duo of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. Holland's replacement will be tasked with filling out the roster around them in hopes of reaching another Stanley Cup Final next season.
NHL Rumors: Oilers Not Inclined to Let Leon Draisaitl Play Out Final Year of Contract
Jun 25, 2024
EDMONTON, ALBERTA - JUNE 15: Leon Draisaitl #29 of the Edmonton Oilers skates during the third period of Game Four of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final between the Florida Panthers and the Edmonton Oilers at Rogers Place on June 15, 2024 in Edmonton, Alberta. (Photo by Dave Sandford/NHLI via Getty Images)
The Edmonton Oilers do not plan to lose Leon Draisaitl for nothing at the end of his current contract next summer, Chris Johnston reported for The Athletic.
"Edmonton is not inclined to let the 28-year-old center simply play out the final year of his contract and walk directly into free agency next July, according to multiple league sources familiar with the front office's view of the situation," Johnston wrote.
Draisaitl is signed one for one more season at $8.5 million before he is slated to hit unrestricted free agency.
The Oilers will have to make a decision about their second-line center before they can lock in their first. Connor McDavid, who is currently signed through 2026, is not eligible to sign an extension until next offseason.
According to Johnston, "there is at least some concern" in the Oilers' front office that keeping Draisaitl in Edmonton on an expiring contract could lead to the potential of both stars leaving the franchise in consecutive seasons.
In the seven regular seasons and 528 games played since singing his current deal with the Oilers, Draisaitl has ranked second only to McDavid with 713 points, and second to Toronto Maple Leafs star Auston Matthews with 297 goals.
Although he was most recently held scoreless in the Oilers' seven-game Cup Final loss to the Florida Panthers, that consistent production has earned Draisaitl what will be a significant raise from his current $8.5 million average annual value.
Like McDavid and Matthews, he could be set to earn more than $12 million per year on his next deal, which will begin with his age-30 season.
The Oilers could be somewhat limited in what they can offer Draisaitl due to consideration for McDavid's next deal, which is likely to set a new NHL record.
The team will also face some limitations if they are considering a trade for the star second-line center, however. Draisaitl holds a ten-team no-trade clause as well as a no-move clause for next season, per CapFriendly, so the Oilers would have to get his approval on any potential deal.
Unlike most team's secondary stars, Draisaitl has established himself as a phenom in his own right by playing most of his even-strength minutes without McDavid.
The Oilers could receive a historic return for trading one of the best scorers in the league, even on an expiring contract. The Edmonton front office will have to weigh whether that potential haul is worth more than one more season of Draisaitl if they are unable to sign the center to a long-term extension this summer.
Connor McDavid: 'Sucks' to Lose NHL Stanley Cup; 'I Guess' Conn Smythe Is 'an Honor'
Jun 25, 2024
SUNRISE, FLORIDA - JUNE 24: Connor McDavid #97 of the Edmonton Oilers looks on during the first period of Game Seven of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final between the Edmonton Oilers and the Florida Panthers at Amerant Bank Arena on June 24, 2024 in Sunrise, Florida. (Photo by Dave Sandford/NHLI via Getty Images)
Connor McDavid wasn't in a celebratory mood on Monday night when he became the sixth player in NHL history to win the Conn Smythe Trophy following the Edmonton Oilers' 2-1 loss to the Florida Panthers in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final.
Speaking to reporters after the game, McDavid explained it "sucks" to lose the Stanley Cup before trying to contextualize his individual honor.
"Yeah, obviously, I guess it's an honor. With the names on that trophy. But ... yeah," he said.
The Oilers forced a Game 7 against the Panthers by winning three straight games after falling into an 0-3 hole in the series. They outscored Florida 18-5 in Games 4-6.
McDavid set a Stanley Cup Final record with eight combined points during a two-game span in Games 4 and 5.
Oilers Connor McDavid
Sets NHL record for the most points in a 2-game span in the Stanley Cup Final with 8.
The Panthers, despite losing Game 6, did a much better job of shutting down McDavid over the final two games in the series. He didn't score a point in either game. It was his first time without a point in back-to-back games since a three-game stretch in the regular season from Nov. 6-11.
McDavid's 42 points were the fourth-most in a single postseason in NHL history. The only players who scored more were Wayne Gretzky twice in 1984-85 (47) and 1987-88 (43) and Mario Lemieux in 1990-91 (44).
The last player to win the Conn Smythe Trophy on a team that didn't win the Stanley Cup was goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere in 2002-03 when he led the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim to the Final before losing in seven games to the New Jersey Devils.
McDavid is the first non-goalie to win the award on the losing team since Reggie Leach of the Philadelphia Flyers in 1975-76.
Oilers' 'Cup or Bust' Failure Means End of Connor McDavid-Leon Draisaitl Era
Lyle Fitzsimmons
Jun 25, 2024
EDMONTON, CANADA - APRIL 22: Leon Draisaitl #29 and Connor McDavid #97 of the Edmonton Oilers strategize against the Los Angeles Kings during the second period in Game One of the First Round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Rogers Place on April 22, 2024, in Edmonton, Canada. (Photo by Codie McLachlan/Getty Images)
Rest easy, Oil Country. It'll never happen again.
This is the last time the sun will rise above Edmonton on the morning after the city's beloved NHL team—fueled by the helmeted version of Batman and Robin, aka Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl—has been eliminated from the playoffs.
The latest springtime disappointment was made official Monday night, when the Florida Panthers beat the Oilers, 2-1, in Game 7 of their first Stanley Cup Final appearance since 2006, which also ended in a seven-game loss to the Carolina Hurricanes.
It's the sixth time the Dynamic Duo has fallen short of a parade limo's jump seat, following first-round losses to Chicago and Winnipeg, previous second-rounders against Anaheim and Vegas, and a blissful albeit fruitless trip to the third round against Colorado that ended in a sweep two springs ago.
We can definitively say here, though, that there won't be a seventh.
There's no chance.
But probably not for a reason that'll make the "City of (Long-Ago) Champions" smile.
Because rather than the suits in the corner offices finally quelling angst and delivering rings by addressing chronic issues with depth scoring, inconsistent defense and porous goaltending, it's far more likely that the "Why can't we win with 97 and 29?" question will be put out of its misery by one of the principals himself.
"Boy Wonder" won't be there.
EDMONTON, ALBERTA - MAY 14: Leon Draisaitl #29 of the Edmonton Oilers celebrates with teammates after a goal during the first period against the Vancouver Canucks in Game Four of the Second Round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Rogers Place on May 14, 2024 in Edmonton, Alberta. (Photo by Codie McLachlan/Getty Images)
For those unaware, this playoff exit ended the penultimate season on an eight-year deal the prolific German, now 28, signed as a precocious 21-year-old.
And given the five 100-point and three 50-goal seasons Draisaitl's produced since inking the extension—not to mention the scoring title and MVP he's won—he'll be looking for a gargantuan bump from the average $8.5 million salary he's been bringing home since.
It's not an unfair expectation.
Considering that of the six NHL players with more than 106 points in 2023-24, none had a smaller cap hit. And only one player league-wide, his crusading teammate in the blue-and-orange cape, has more points since the contract took effect in 2017.
Draisaitl is second, again to McDavid, in points per playoff game (1.80 to 1.53 through Game 6) over that same stretch, well ahead of Nathan MacKinnon (1.28) in third and even further ahead of Mikko Rantanen (1.25) and Nikita Kucherov (1.23) in fourth and fifth.
And his career playoff point total (108) is good for third overall since 2016-17, though it's come in far fewer postseason games (73) than the one non-teammate ahead of him—Kucherov—who's played 102, while Rantanen and MacKinnon have played 81 apiece.
The difference?
Those other three guys, with four Cups among them, averaged $12 million in 2023-24.
TAMPA, FL - JUNE 26: Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon (29) hoisting the Stanley Cup during the NHL Hockey Stanley Cup Finals Game six between Tampa Bay Lightning and the Colorado Avalanche on June 26th, 2022 at Amalie Arena in Tampa Florida (Photo by Andrew Bershaw /Icon_Sportswire)
So, to label Draisaitl—the sixth-highest-paid player in the series with the Panthers—as the best superstar bargain in sports is hardly hyperbolic.
It's a fact.
It's another fact, or a series of them, that'll make it untenable for him to stay put.
Though the salary cap figures to swell at typical rates, there simply aren't enough dollars to cover what Draisaitl would warrant even as a "hometown discount," considering the Oilers are still smarting from the $9.25 million dents Darnell Nurse will leave through 2030 and the $5 million outlays to AHL starter Jack Campbell until June 2027.
Ten players of varying import are due for free agency to come this July alone, meaning any significant raise for Draisaitl would come at the expense of the factors that helped end the latest "Cup or bust" run. And that's not even considering the stash of cash that'll be needed to even entice McDavid to stick around when his deal's done in 2026.
But let's face it, there's a great chance Draisaitl won't want to stay anyway.
Though he and McDavid don't publicly seem less than contented kittens and haven't strayed far from the "we want to win here" company line, the same cannot be said of Draisaitl's relationship with the rabid Edmonton media. He was famously branded "pissy" in a snit with Hall of Fame writer Jim Matheson two years ago and often presents as impatient and disinterested with his role as a team spokesman.
While writers in New York, Boston, Philly and elsewhere would pose a daily challenge with aggressive questioning, the combination of a change of scenery, a huge contract windfall and the chance to make a real run as a C-1 rather than 1-A still make a farewell press conference at Rogers Place seem more a cinch than a long shot.
That's why it'll feel more like rebranding than retooling for the Oilers next winter (or sooner) when they come to grips with his imminent exit and try to recoup pennies on the dollar in return, effectively ending the most maddening era in franchise history.
2000 Season: Ranger captain Mark Messier keeps a close watch on Wayne Gretzky. (Photo by Bruce Bennett Studios via Getty Images Studios/Getty Images)
Though remembering legends Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier leaving town on one-sided exchanges remains difficult for those of a certain age, their jerseys were ultimately raised to the rafters alongside the five championship banners they helped procure.
In the case of Draisaitl and McDavid, while the stats are equally heady and the Hall of Fame plaques guaranteed, the long-term sentiments will be far less satisfying.
Bamboozling by the likes of Darcy Kuemper and Adin Hill to enable skilled but less dynamic Nazem Kadri and Mark Stone types a jewelry fitting was difficult enough. But knowing there's an excellent chance a preeminent pairing like 97 and 29 will never find its way to northern Alberta again makes this Last Dance reboot far more angsty.
Evan Rodrigues. Sasha Barkov. Thanks, Oilers fans. Drive home safely.
Meanwhile, the best one-two punch in hockey—certainly lately and maybe ever—shakes hands, offers cliches and makes plans for a midweek locker-cleaning.
No Cup.
Just busted.
Conn Smythe Trophy 2024: Oilers' Connor McDavid Wins over Panthers' Sergei Bobrovsky
Jun 25, 2024
SUNRISE, FLORIDA - JUNE 24: Connor McDavid #97 of the Edmonton Oilers warms up prior to game Game Seven of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final against the Florida Panthers at Amerant Bank Arena on June 24, 2024 in Sunrise, Florida. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
For the first time since 2003, the Conn Smythe Trophy has been awarded to a member of the losing team.
After the Florida Panthers defeated the Edmonton Oilers in Game 7 to win the Stanley Cup on Monday, Oilers star Conor McDavid was given the award for an outstanding performance in the playoffs.
McDavid finished the postseason with 42 points—eight goals and 34 assists—across 25 games played.
In front of a Panthers crowd, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman was met with a rain of boos from fans after he announced McDavid had won the coveted award. The three-time Hart Trophy winner did not come out to the ice to accept the award.
It was a bit surprising for McDavid to win the trophy given the rarity of a member of the losing team winning it. The last winner from a losing team was Jean-Sebastien Giguere of the Anaheim Mighty Ducks in 2003.
While Florida fans were disappointed to see McDavid win the award over Sergei Bobrovsky or another member of the Panthers, it's hard to deny that McDavid was the most impressive player throughout the playoffs.
His 42 points in the postseason were the fourth-most in NHL history, trailing only Wayne Gretzky (43, 47) and Mario Lemieux (44).
Connor McDavid takes home the Conn Smythe after recording the fourth most points in a single NHL postseason in league history:
47 — Wayne Gretzky (1984-85) 44 — Mario Lemieux (1990-91) 43 — Wayne Gretzky (1987-88) 42 — Connor McDavid (2023-24) 40 — Wayne Gretzky (1992-93)… pic.twitter.com/V5KkeAc0JK
After McDavid was awarded the Conn Smythe, there were mixed reactions from fans on social media.
Many will disagree. But I have a real problem with the MVP vote. McDavid is one of the best players of all time. He was brilliant. But he had no points in the last two games, was particularly quiet in perhaps the biggest NHL game of this century, and…his team lost.
I'm not gonna go so far as to say he didn't deserve it but seeing McDavid win the Conn Smythe after being shut down in game 6 and 7... it's a tough one
Being awarded the Conn Smythe is a nice boost to McDavid's resume, but the star likely would have rather walked away with the Stanley Cup Trophy. The Oilers put together an impressive stretch of games to come back from a 3-0 deficit, but they didn't have enough to complete the historic comeback.
McDavid has now experienced his first Stanley Cup Finals and even was named the best player of the postseason, but he'll be looking to come back next season and win it all.
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Wayne Gretzky's Stick from 1988 Stanley Cup Win Sells for NHL Record $336K at Auction
Jun 22, 2024
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 15: Wayne Gretzky speaks onstage during Warner Bros. Discovery Upfront 2024 on May 15, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images for Warner Bros. Discovery)
NHL legend Wayne Gretzky's stick that he used during the Edmonton Oilers' series-clinching win in the 1988 Stanley Cup Finals sold for a record price on Friday.
The stick sold at a Sotheby's auction for $336,000, setting an all-time record for a game-used NHL hockey stick (h/t ESPN's Dan Hajducky).
The stick was previously owned by Rick Elaschuk, a longtime employee of the Oilers. Gretzky also signed the stick after securing the first of four total Stanley Cup wins throughout his career.
Per Hajducky, 22 bidders were responsible for 79 total bids on the stick before it was eventually sold. The price of $336,000 surpasses a previous record that also belonged to Gretzky, as the stick he used in his final game sold for $138,600 in 2022.
The 15-time All-Star's memorabilia also holds the record for the largest amount paid for a hockey jersey, as his final Oilers jersey sold for $1.452 million in June 2022 (h/t Hajducky).
Gretzky dominated throughout the 1988 Stanley Cup Playoffs, amassing 43 points in 19 games. He also recorded 31 assists throughout the postseason run, which stood for several decades as an all-time NHL record before it was broken by Connor McDavid in 2024.
McDavid and the Oilers will attempt to secure the sixth Stanley Cup win in franchise history by trying to complete an improbable 3-0 comeback against the Florida Panthers. Trailing the series 3-2, Edmonton will try to force Game 7 on Friday night.
Connor McDavid Exhilarates NHL Fans as Oilers Force Game 6 vs. Tkachuk, Panthers
Jun 19, 2024
SUNRISE, FLORIDA - JUNE 18: Connor McDavid #97 of the Edmonton Oilers skates the puck through the neutral zone during the first period of Game Five of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final between the Edmonton Oilers and the Florida Panthers at Amerant Bank Arena on June 18, 2024 in Sunrise, Florida. (Photo by Dave Sandford/NHLI via Getty Images)
The Edmonton Oilers' dream of a 3-0 comeback is still alive and well.
Edmonton defeated the Florida Panthers 5-3 in Tuesday's Game 5 of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final at Amerant Bank Arena and now trails just 3-2 in the series with the opportunity to force a decisive contest if it capitalizes on home ice in Game 6.
The Game 5 win can be defined by two words: Connor McDavid.
CONNOR MCDAVID JUST WENT THROUGH TWO FLORIDA DEFENSEMEN 🤯
Edmonton's superstar was unstoppable in the latest victory with two goals and two assists. It looked like he was toying with Florida defenders for extended stretches of the contest, including when he completely took over the game in the critical second period.
Social media reacted accordingly:
Connor McDavid just became the third player in NHL history to score 40+ points in a postseason 🔥
The entire flow of the game trails McDavid’s wake when he’s out there. He’s the lead goose in the Flying V and everyone else is just tryna catch a bit of the slipstream.
Look, I don't know if the Oilers come all the way back and win 4 straight, but never has "if theres any team that can, it's this one" rung more true thanks to Connor McDavid. Truly the best.
McDavid was the star, but the Oilers also received goals from Connor Brown, Zach Hyman and Corey Perry. Goaltender Stuart Skinner allowed goals to Matthew Tkachuk, Evan Rodrigues and Oliver Ekman-Larsson but still saved 30 of the 33 shots he faced.
It was more of the same for the Oilers, who had plenty of momentum despite the series deficit following a dominant 8-1 win in Saturday's Game 4. Florida pulled goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky during the previous loss after he and the entire team was overwhelmed by the Oilers' offensive attack, and the start of Game 5 did nothing to quell any lingering concerns.
Brown intercepted a pass and scored a short-handed goal on the breakaway he created to open the scoring in the first period.
That was just the start of the initial onslaught for the Oilers, as McDavid shifted into takeover mode in the second period with assists on goals from Hyman and Perry to go along with his own goal. He glided through defenders with ease in a display of individual superstar brilliance that few in NHL history could have pulled off.
Yet the home team cut into three-goal deficits on multiple occasions with goals from Tkachuk and Rodrigues to keep the crowd fully engaged and apply pressure on an Edmonton team fighting for the survival of its championship dreams.
Never was that pressure more apparent than when Ekman-Larsson buried a goal on a Tkachuk assist less than five minutes after the start of the third period.
To the Oilers' credit, they withstood the pressure thanks to strong defense and play from Skinner. Fittingly, it was McDavid who scored the open-netter in the final seconds to clinch the win and force the series back to Edmonton for Friday's Game 6.
