There is some big news coming out of the Edmonton Oilers organization on Tuesday. The team has parted ways with Assistant GM Brad Holland. As part of the announcement, Oilers CEO and President Jeff Jackson said the parting of ways was a mutual decision.
“We thank Brad for his work during his time with the organization & we wish him well in his future endeavours, ” said Jeff Jackson in the release.
Brad Holland is the son of former Oilers’ GM Ken Holland. As such, it may come as little surprise, considering his father left the Oilers organization earlier this offseason, that the son is now gone too.
Known for his thorough scouting analysis, he had served as the Oilers’ director of professional scouting since the start of the 2022-23 season. Under his leadership, the team’s talent identification and development have greatly improved. He was also heavily involved in key trades, including the Oilers’ push to get Mattias Ekholm out of Nashville. He was also instrumental in the Oilers landing Klim Kostin out of St. Louis and Nick Bjugstad out of Arizona in separate trades.
It should be assumed that as the assistant general manager, he was heavily relied upon during the draft and free agency. Before Jackson and then new GM Stan Bowman was hired, Brad Holland was considered a likely candidate by many to take over the role as GM.
It’s not clear who will take over as the next assistant GM, but the Oilers did make some recent management and development hires.
Before joining the Oilers, Holland had spent two years with the Toronto Maple Leafs as a team manager. It’s not clear if he’s looking to go back there or has another offer he’s considering.
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