So it looks like the Edmonton Oilers are paying up for Ken Holland to try and save the team.
Holland guided the Red Wings to one of the best decades of success in sports. In fact, he was voted by Sports Illustrated as the second-best executive in sports in the previous decade.
Holland and his team drafted well, and yes, for the first 10 years of his tenure, the Red Wings had the highest salaries in the game before the salary cap came in. But after the cap, Holland’s Wings still made it to the Stanley Cup final twice, winning once.
One man can’t do it all in hockey. Holland will need a staff around him that gives him the best advice whether it be amateur scouting, pro scouting or analytics.
Holland also has to make sure he gets the right coach.
Starting with two 100-point players should be an ideal situation, but there are bad contracts, bad depth and questionable goaltending.
Combine that with an impatient owner and equally impatient fan base and Holland has his hands full.