Ken Holland, the general manager of the Edmonton Oilers, and the team came to an agreement that they would part ways after the Oilers were defeated in the Stanley Cup Finals. After serving the company for five years, Holland left a significant void that needed to be filled. President and Chief Executive Officer of the team, Jeff Jackson, has done an excellent job filling in for the general manager, bringing in crucial depth forwards like Viktor Arvidsson and Jeff Skinner.
Despite this, Jackson does not intend to continue doing so for a significant amount of time. In an interview with the Edmonton media, he stated that he intended to fill the post prior to the beginning of the 2024 season. It is believed that he has limited the list down to a select few qualified applicants. It is generally agreed upon that Mark Hunter is the most likely candidate. Billy Stefan, a retired NHL insider, said on his X account that he expects Hunter will join the organization as general manager, and that Stan Bowman may be brought in as an advisor.
The Toronto Maple Leafs were Hunter’s most recent team in the National Hockey League, where he served in a variety of capacities. Hunter is presently the owner and general manager of the London Knights, who compete in the Ontario Hockey League. He was also the assistant general manager, in addition to serving as the director of player personnel and the interim co-general manager. Following Kyle Dubas’s formal assumption of the post of general manager in 2018, he resigned from his position with the organization.
To add insult to injury, even another name has surfaced as a potential finalist. On a conversation with Bob Stauffer of Oilers Now Radio, an insider called Frank Seravalli of The Daily Faceoff mentioned that the Oilers may have approached Jason Botterill.
The statement was made by Seravalli. “I don’t think that part has sorted itself out yet,” he said. “However, speaking to people who are close to the Seattle Kraken organization, they wouldn’t be surprised to see that happen.” If, on the other hand, you were to discuss possibilities from outside the organization and ask for approval, my expectation would be that Jason Botterill would be toward the top of that list for the Oilers.
There are two excellent choices available to the Oilers, and they are Mark Hunter and Jason Botterill. David Staples, who writes for the Edmonton Journal, is of the opinion that Botterill may be a good choice for the squad under consideration. Taking into consideration the remarks made by Seravalli, Staples said that it would be reasonable for the team to hire him.
