Ex-Edmonton Oilers GM Ken Holland could get new gig in New York
A familiar face could be popping up in the NHL GM circles soon.
Former Edmonton Oilers GM Ken Holland parted ways with the Oilers at the end of last season and has yet to snag a job with a new team. Instead, the 69-year-old has taken on a role with the league itself, working as a consultant with the NHL’s hockey operations department.
However, reports over the season have indicated that Holland is itching to get back in the GM chair. TSN NHL insider Darren Dreger reported on Tuesday afternoon that the veteran executive could get that chance now that Lou Lamoriello is out of the job with the New York Islanders.
“As the Islanders move on from the massive experience of Lou Lamoriello, it will be interesting to see the list John Collins puts together,” Dreger wrote on X. “Ken Holland is eager to work again, but has made it clear he wouldn’t taken someone’s job, there has to be a vacancy. Big opening now.”
As the Islanders move on from the massive experience of Lou Lamoriello, it will be interesting to see the list John Collins puts together. Ken Holland is eager to work again, but has made it clear he wouldn’t take someone’s job…there has to be a vacancy. Big opening now.
— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) April 22, 2025
It would be quite something to see the Islanders move on from the 82-year-old Lamoriello to Holland, who is pushing 70. However, you can’t discredit the track record of the former Oilers general manager.
He spent an impressive 22 seasons as GM of the Detroit Red Wings, where he won four Stanley Cups. Holland then guided the Oilers to a Game 7 Stanley Cup Final loss just last year.
Following his departure from the Alberta capital, many speculated he would get a job with the NHL’s newest franchise in Utah after being spotted at their training camp. That did not wind up coming to fruition.
The Islanders would be a unique challenge for Holland as they are a team that has found themselves cemented somewhere in the mid-tier of the league. They missed the playoffs by nine points this season and have been in and out of the postseason for the last decade.
Teams across the NHL are sure to shake up their management teams before the 2025-26 season arrives. If not the Islanders, perhaps Holland can swing a job somewhere else in the league.