To say there have been a lot of changes over the past year and a half with the Edmonton Oilers’ front office and coaching staff would be an understatement. On Aug, 3, 2023 the wheels of change for the Oilers were set in motion when they hired Jeff Jackson to be their CEO of Hockey Operations. Move forward from that day to now and the Oilers have seen key people such as general manager (GM) Ken Holland, director of amateur scouting Tyler Wright, head coach Jay Woodcroft, assistant coach Dave Manson, and most recently, assistant GM Brad Holland leave the organization.
Obviously the move to replace Woodcroft and Manson with Kris Knoblauch and assistant coach Paul Coffey paid off in a big way as the Oilers got to within two goals of winning the Stanley Cup. And the addition of Rick Pracey as director of amateur scouting is also trending up. However the jury is still out on whether new GM Stan Bowman can get the Oilers over the final hurdle and into the winners circle as Stanley Cup champions while Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are at their peak.
With Holland’s departure this week, you have to wonder who Jackson and Bowman will bring in to replace him. Or maybe he won’t bring anyone in at all considering he has very capable assistant GMs in Bill Scott and Keith Gretzky-who also doubles as GM of the Bakersfield Condors, the Oilers’ AHL affiliate.
Both Ken & Brad Holland Contributed to the Success of the Oilers
I personally liked both Ken and Brad Holland, despite some missteps along the way, the Oilers did get to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final under their guidance. The younger Holland was once touted as a bright new management prospect in the game, and he could still very well land in a great position in the not-so-distant future.
Related: Oilers Mutually Part Ways with Assistant GM Brad Holland
You have to believe that his departure this September was inevitable, considering his Dad didn’t re-sign with the Oilers after his five year contract was up this summer.
Will Jeff Jackson & Stan Bowman make further changes?
If there are further changes to be had, and if Jackson and Bowman decide to bring in a replacement for the younger Holland, who could they be considering? Based on past hires since the summer of 2023, I think you could almost bet the farm it’ll be someone who has previous working experience with Jackson or Bowman.
Related: Stan Bowman is Off to a Great Start as Oilers’ GM
It might be too early to speculate on who the Oilers might be considering, if anyone at all at this time but it’s definitely something to keep an eye on this season.
George Mumford Remains with Oilers
When I looked at the Oilers management chart, I saw that mental performance coach George Mumford is still on staff with the Oilers. That’s good news for the team heading into the 2023-24 season. If you’ve never heard of Mumford, you may not be aware that he has helped NBA Superstars such as Micheal Jordan, the late Kobe Bryant, and Shaquille O’Neil transform their games. In fact, Jordan credits Mumford with transforming his on court leadership, helping the Chicago Bulls win multiple championships. The Oilers hired Mumford last September, and he gave every Oiler a copy of his 2023 book Unlocked: Embrace Your Greatness, Find the Flow, Discover Success. According to Sportsnet, Mumford would make regular trips to Alberta throughout the 2023-24 NHL season, address the Oilers as a group, or take individuals out to lunch to talk. He definitely helped key individuals such as Stuart Skninner, Zach Hyman and McDavid elevate their games through pressure. Having Mumford on board with the Oilers for this season is definitely a plus for the team. He may very well turn out to be be one of Jeff Jackson’s best hires in his time with the Oilers so far.
