Oilers part ways with up-and-coming assistant GM
The Edmonton Oilers have parted ways with an assistant GM less than a week before the team takes to the ice for its first preseason game.
In a post to social media this afternoon, the Oilers announced that AGM Brad Holland and the team have agreed to mutually part ways. CEO Jeff Jackson made a brief statement on the matter.
“We thank Brad for his work during his time with the organization and we wish him well in his future endeavours,” Jackson said.
Brad Holland is the son of previous Oilers GM Ken Holland and has been the team’s director of pro scouting since the 2022-23 NHL season.
CEO & President of Hockey Operations Jeff Jackson announced today the #Oilers & Assistant GM Brad Holland have agreed to mutually part ways.
"We thank Brad for his work during his time with the organization & we wish him well in his future endeavours." – Jeff Jackson
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) September 17, 2024
Holland was lauded for his ability to help the Oilers find and secure NHL talent through trades and free agency signings throughout the last few seasons. He got his start in the NHL with the Toronto Maple Leafs back in 2015-16 and eventually made his way to the Oilers in 2019 to become a pro scout. He was promoted to the AGM role alongside his dad in 2022.
His use and belief in analytics seemed to fit the mould of the type of management group the Oilers had been assembling, and many believed that Holland could have been his father’s successor as Oilers GM before the team opted to hire Stan Bowman instead.
This will now leave a massive hole in the Oilers’ front office, and the club will be on the search for another AGM to fill Holland’s role as the director of pro scouting. One name that could make sense is Michael Parkatti, who was hired by the Oilers last season and currently works as the team’s senior director of data and analytics.
With the season coming up in just a few weeks, it’s a good bet that a new hire will come sooner rather than later.