Ken Holland leaves Oilers ahead of draft, free agency

Ken Holland is out as Edmonton Oilers president of hockey operations and general manager.

He joined the Oilers in May 2019 and his contract ends this Sunday.

“The Edmonton Oilers and Ken Holland have mutually agreed that his contract will not be extended beyond the end of its current term," Oilers Hockey Operations CEO Jeff Jackson said in a statement Thursday morning. "Over the past five seasons as General Manager, Ken has not only built the Edmonton Oilers into one of the NHL’s best teams, but he has also established a deeply rooted foundation of success and a culture of winning that will continue well into the future. Thanks in large part to Ken’s outstanding work, Edmonton has become a destination city for players around the National Hockey League. We wish Ken, Cindi and his entire family the very best and thank him for his leadership and contributions to the Oilers organization and the City of Edmonton.”

Holland, who won four Stanley Cups as the Detroit Red Wings general manager, made a number of big moves during his time in Edmonton.

His highlights include trading for Mattias Ekholm, signing Zach Hyman and Evander Kane, and drafting Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway.

The signing of goalie Jack Campbell for $25 million over five years did not work out for the Oilers, and the contract Holland gave to Darnell Nurse — eight years with an average of $9.25 million per season — has received strong criticism.

The NHL draft is on Friday and free agency starts next Monday.

It's unclear if the Oilers will hire a new GM right away.

Jackson will speak to reporters at 11:30 a.m.