Less than a year ago, the Edmonton Oilers were sitting near the bottom of the NHL standings with fans going as far as to speculate Leon Draisaitl could be traded. Today, they have a new head coach who led them to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final, are reportedly in talks to extend Draisaitl, and are searching for their next general manager.
How Did the Oilers Get Here?
Over the last five seasons, Ken Holland served as the Oilers’ general manager, experiencing countless successes and setbacks. His tenure included signing Darnell Nurse and Jack Campbell to costly contracts that will plague the team for seasons to come. However, he also made notable, impressive moves, such as securing Zach Hyman on a highly favorable contract and making the brilliant decision to hire Kris Knoblauch as former head coach Jay Woodcroft’s replacement. He ultimately led Edmonton to a narrow one-goal loss in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final.
Holland’s decision to step down was mutual, with the Oilers seeking a new direction in their front office and Holland looking to pursue new challenges in his impressive career. His departure after the Oilers’ Game 7 loss ended months of speculation. Now, the focus of Edmonton fans has turned to who will take over the helm, with current CEO and interim general manager Jeff Jackson being an ideal candidate.
Following Holland’s departure, Jackson was named interim general manager, set to take over primary responsibilities in the front office until a replacement was named. In his short stint, he has led the Oilers at the 2024 Draft, re-signed key players, made bargain deals to bring in free agents, and made two impressive trades.
Jackson’s Draft Decisions
The first component of Jackson’s tenure is his success at the draft. He traded a protected 2025 first-round pick for the 32nd pick in the 2024 Draft to select Sam O’Reilly. While this was a bit of a reach given O’Reilly’s consensus second-round ranking, he fills a valuable need in the Oilers’ diminishing prospect pool.
O’Reilly is a hard-working forward with a high hockey IQ, impressive awareness, and a well-rounded game. His offensive production does not stand out, but he is a member of the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League, a team with an impressive history of developing NHL talent.
Even if you disagree with the ultimate selection, trading into the first round was a smart move. With both Draisaitl and Connor McDavid in their primes, maximizing each season they have left is crucial. By making a first-round pick a year earlier than they otherwise would have, the Oilers not only strengthen their prospect pool but also add a prospect who can contribute during the McDavid era for an extra season compared to a 2025 draftee.
Additionally, the Oilers addressed their goaltending needs at the 2024 Draft by selecting Eemil Vinni, arguably the top goaltending prospect in the draft.
Jackson Found Bargain Deals
Following the draft, Jackson had multiple key decisions to make regarding the Oilers’ pending free agents. He had to decide who to bring back among Adam Henrique, Warren Foegele, Corey Perry, Connor Brown, Mattias Janmark, and Vincent Desharnais. While it is still early, it is looking like he made the right decision, bringing back only those who had a role in the lineup and were willing to sign team-friendly deals.
Jackson signed Henrique for $3 million annual average (AAV), Perry for $1.15 million AAV, Brown for $1 million AAV, and Janmark for $1.45 million AAV, all team-friendly deals. He also let Foegele and Desharnais leave in free agency, with both signing expensive deals elsewhere. So, with a few lineup regulars gone, Jackson entered free agency with one thing in mind: acquiring high-upside free agents on team-friendly deals and he did exactly that.
Jackson’s first free agent signing was bringing in Viktor Arvidsson on a two-year deal worth $4 million annually. The 31-year-old has struggled with injuries as of late. However, when healthy, he is among the best wingers in the NHL. He has four 25+ goal seasons and six seasons producing above a 60-point pace. He is speedy and knows how to find the back of the net, and for just $4 million AAV, he may have signed the most team-friendly contract in free agency.
Skinner Was a Dream Signing
Jackson’s other major free agent signing was bringing in Jeff Skinner on a one-year, $3 million deal. Over the past three seasons, Skinner has scored 92 goals and 191 points in 233 games, averaging 32 goals and 67 points over an 82-game scale. Impressively, he achieved these numbers while playing for a struggling Buffalo Sabres team. By signing Skinner, Jackson is following the strategy of the Florida Panthers, the team that ended the Oilers’ season and won the 2024 Stanley Cup.
Jackson is emulating the Panthers’ strategy in the signing of Skinner in two ways. First, he is bringing in a former Buffalo Sabre. Following the Panthers’ Stanley Cup victory, the media had a lot of fun discussing the team’s connection to the Sabres. On the Stanley Cup-winning roster, the Panthers had five former Sabres. This list includes Kyle Okposo (with the Sabres from 2016 to 2024), Sam Reinhart (2014-21), Evan Rodrigues (2015-20), Brandon Montour (2018-21), and Dmitry Kulikov (2016-17).
Jackson signing Skinner mirrors another strategy used by the Panthers: targeting players who were recently bought out. Oliver Ekman-Larsson, once considered a top-pairing defenseman in the NHL, was bought out by the Vancouver Canucks in the 2023 offseason. The Panthers then signed him to a one-year deal worth $2.25 million, and he exceeded expectations, scoring nine goals and 32 points while providing strong defense in the team’s bottom four. This offseason, the Toronto Maple Leafs rewarded him with a four-year deal worth $3.5 million annually.
To replace Ekman-Larsson, the Panthers have signed Adam Boqvist and Nate Schmidt to one-year deals, making just over $1.5 million combined. This is a strategy Panthers’ general manager Bill Zito is clearly a fan of, and Jackson took note.
By bringing in Skinner, Jackson is making a nearly identical move to the Ekman-Larsson signing, acquiring a well-respected veteran who was once seen as a premier player at their position but was bought out due to mismanagement. Interestingly enough, signing Skinner was not all Jackson had planned regarding Buffalo as he proceeded to make a trade with them.
Trades to Get Younger
While Jackson’s trade that led to drafting O’Reilly was a good one, his second trade as interim general manager was even better. He sent Ryan McLeod and Tyler Tullio to the Sabres for top prospect Matthew Savoie. Not only did he bring in another former Sabre, but he made a deal that has left the hockey world with the consensus belief that Edmonton won the deal.
Plenty has been said about just how impressive Savoie is as a prospect, but not enough attention has gone to what this means for the Oilers’ long-term outlook. By bringing in Savoie and O’Reilly, the Oilers’ contention window has widened. The team has gone from consisting of players around 30 years old to adding two top prospects who will contribute at the same time as the current core.
Jackson’s accomplishments in his short tenure are not only impressive but replicate the aggressive mindset of the most recent Stanley Cup winner. He has a clear understanding of the team’s needs and has addressed them directly, so bringing in someone else to be the team’s next general manager would be a foolish decision.
