Oilers expected to allow GM Ken Holland’s contract to expire

Official clarity on Ken Holland’s future is expected on Thursday, but multiple sources indicate the Edmonton Oilers will allow his contract to expire on June 30.

That would make Holland a free agent, and several teams are expected to ask him about roles he’d consider for next season. That would also leave the Oilers without a GM. It’s possible the organization goes without one in the short-term, as the run to Stanley Cup Game 7 forced them to consider this outcome. A search for any potential replacement risked distracting stories and/or rumours.

Holland, voted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2020, just missed his fifth Stanley Cup as an executive due to the Florida Panthers’ 2-1 victory on Monday night.

Something else to watch: Vancouver created an additional $4M of cap space by trading Ilya Mikheyev to Chicago. Dakota Joshua remains an important target after a career-high 18-goal, 32-point season, and it is believed the Canucks re-engaged attempts to sign him as the trade occurred. We will see where that takes us.

Chicago apparently is very interested in signing the other player acquired in the trade, Sam Lafferty. He played 97 games for the Blackhawks from 2021-23.