Just a couple weeks after Edmonton Oilers interim general manager Jeff Jackson made a splash in free agency, bolstering the Oilers lineup with talented newcomers while retaining much of the roster that got within one win of a championship, Edmonton’s top goal-scorer and leading point-producer have weighed in on the matter.
On Monday (July 15), Zach Hyman and Connor McDavid spoke publicly for the first time since free agency opened on July 1. The Oilers forwards were in Toronto for the fifth annual Zach Hyman Celebrity Classic at the Oakdale Golf and Country Club.
Among Edmonton’s many moves on Canada Day, the Oilers signed forwards Viktor Arvidsson (formerly of the Los Angeles Kings) and Jeff Skinner (formerly of the Buffalo Sabres), while re-signing their third line of Connor Brown, Adam Henrique, and Mattias Janmark. Other transactions included the addition of defenceman Josh Brown (formerly of the Arizona Coyotes) and the return of veteran blueliner Troy Stetcher.
“I thought the whole management staff did a great job,” said McDavid, who led the NHL in points for both the 2023-24 regular season and 2024 Playoffs. “They’ve had a great offseason, so far. It’s been short, it’s been hurried, but I think in the small time they’ve been at it they’ve done great things.”
Oilers Interim GM Makes Great First Impression
What made Edmonton’s successful free agency most impressive is the fact it was technically Jackson’s first day on the job as GM.
Jackson, who also serves as the Oilers’ CEO of Hockey Operations, is filling in on an interim basis while conducting the search for a permanent replacement for Ken Holland. The Oilers and Holland mutually agreed to part ways when his five-year contract expired on July 1.
Jackson has never served as GM in the NHL before, but deftly navigated the chaos of free agency despite operating with a limited budget due to Edmonton’s salary cap situation.
“Keeping this many guys together is a good thing,” McDavid continued. “In the salary cap era it’s tough to do that, and (Jackson’s) done a great job finding a way to do that.”
Oilers’ Success Draws Players to Edmonton
Jackson’s job has certainly been made easier by Edmonton’s success. Still fresh in everyone’s minds are the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs, which ended just one week prior to the opening of free agency.
The Oilers reached the Stanley Cup Final for the first time in 18 years, and after falling behind 3-0 to the Florida Panthers in the best-of-seven championship series, they rallied to push the Florida Panthers to Game 7.
Safe to say, the Oilers’ incredible playoff run demonstrated to free agents that Edmonton is the place to be if you’re trying to win a ring.
“Obviously with (Holland) leaving, (Jackson’s) got to take the mantle and has done great, bringing in new guys, making our team better, bringing guys back, and I think it’s also a testament to the team that guys are willing to come back on team-friendly deals and take discounts to try to win,” said Hyman, who was the Oilers’ top goal scorer in both the 2023-24 NHL regular season and 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
“I think they see how special it is to play in Edmonton and now it’s becoming more of a destination to play, and that’s really awesome to see.”
Oilers’ Newcomers Are Familiar Faces for Hyman
Hyman is quite familiar with both of Edmonton’s biggest free-agent additions. He’s matched up against Arvidsson as the Oilers and Kings met in each of the last three postseasons, and he played minor hockey with Skinner in Toronto more than 20 years ago.
Related: Jeff Skinner: All About the New Oilers Forward’s Fascinating Childhood
“Arvidsson, obviously we played against him three playoffs in a row now, so he’s a hard guy to play against, goes to the net, scores greasy goals,” Hyman said of the former L.A. winger, who has 179 NHL career regular season goals. “He’s scored 30 goals before, so I think he’ll be a great player to add.
“Jeff, I actually played with Jeff growing up in minor hockey, we’re the same age, so we played together for a long time way back in the day,” the 32-year-old Hyman continued. “It’s been a long, long time since we’ve played together, but obviously watching him from afar and playing against him, he’s a really talented guy and he’s a goal scorer, he can score goals, so I’m excited to see how the two of them mesh with our group.”
Hyman won’t have to wait long for that. The Oilers are just a couple months away now from the start of training camp, as the countdown to the 2024-25 NHL season begins.
