According to Elliotte Friedman, the Edmonton Oilers will hire Stan Bowman as the team’s next general manager (GM). The news comes after weeks of speculation regarding who the next GM will be, with the leading candidates being Bowman, Keith Gretzky, Brad Holland, and Mark Hunter.
Bowman steps into the GM role after Oilers’ CEO and interim GM Jeff Jackson has been leading since Ken Holland’s departure. Holland served as the Oilers’ GM for the past five seasons, guiding the team through numerous highs and lows, including a run to the Stanley Cup Final this past season and a few problematic signings, such as Jack Campbell and Darnell Nurse.
Jackson had a short-lived run as interim GM but made the most of it. He began at the 2024 Draft, trading into the first round to select winger Sam O’Reilly. From there, he re-signed Adam Henrique for $3 million annual average (AAV), Corey Perry for $1.15 million AAV, Connor Brown for $1 million AAV, and Mattias Janmark for $1.45 million AAV, all team-friendly deals. He also signed free agents Jeff Skinner and Viktor Arvidsson to team-friendly deals and traded for top prospect Matthew Savoie.
The decision to hire Bowman comes with mixed reactions. Three years ago, the former GM resigned from the Chicago Blackhawks following an independent investigation into allegations of sexual assault committed by a member of the Blackhawks’ video coaching staff.
As GM, Bowman led the Blackhawks to three Stanley Cup victories in six seasons. He was not responsible for drafting Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews, but he was the GM who built the supporting cast that led the group to its success. Given his skill in building a well-rounded supporting cast around superstars, it will be interesting to see how he performs in Edmonton.
