That is what Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli outlined when he recently appeared on OilersNow and was asked about what Edmonton would be looking for in their next GM.
Although he did not go into specifics on candidates in the running to fill the void left by Holland, Seravalli did describe what the ideal person would likely be in terms of what the Oilers are probably looking for.
“I think what you need is someone that is in lockstep and shares the same vision as Jeff Jackson,” he said. “Now, I’m not in the room and I don’t know exactly what those discussions are like, but I do have a pretty decent grasp of the specificity of the vision that Jeff Jackson has and it’s pretty detailed. Where he sees this organization going, the steps that they can make, the aggression with which they do it, thinking outside the box, trying different avenues.
“I think all those things are really important and you need someone that has the ability to execute. That’s been the one shining light, I think, from the last three weeks plus that we’ve seen from Jeff Jackson is the ability to execute.”
Seravalli went on to mention that the hypothetical candidate would be someone who can help Jackson execute his vision, regardless of whether this GM’s expertise is in player evaluation or the salary cap.
As mentioned earlier, his report does not define who exactly the team is considering to become the 11th GM in franchise history. All this does is further reinforce the notion that Jackson does not want to remain the GM and wants someone else to take over the role permanently so that he can resume his duties as the CEO of the Oilers’ hockey operations. He has stated publicly on numerous occasions that he has no plans of keeping this role long-term because it does not work for him and his family which has already informed owner Darryl Katz of this.
While Oilers fans will be disappointed to hear that Jackson is not in the running for the Oilers’ GM because of how well he has done this offseason running the draft and their free-agent signings, it does set the tone for what the new GM needs to aspire to be a successful candidate.
Whoever they choose will have a lot on their plate over the next 24 months with the three big pieces of business being Leon Draisatil and Connor McDavid’s expiring deals as well as maximizing the window while the two stars are still under contract. Jackson has done well in the initial setup that helped build off where Holland left the team upon his departure, so the next GM needs to be aggressive in helping the Oilers realize their potential.
Nothing will be guaranteed for Edmonton past the 2024-25 campaign, so maximizing on this year and executing the moves that help ensure that they can build off their run to Game 7 of the Finals is going to be imperative for this hypothetical GM.
Although it is not clear who that candidate is going to be (internal or external), the fact remains that this GM will have plenty of work to do right away upon being given the keys to running the Oilers. At the very least, we have a better idea of what traits that person would have based on Seravalli’s recent report.
Welcome to another summer edition of Oilersnation Everyday. No Tyler Yaremchuk on today’s show as he begins his annual golf trip for the next couple of weeks. Instead, Liam Horrobin will sit in the host seat alongside Cam “Cooom” Lewis.
The Oilers are on the lookout for a new general manager, and the speculation is heating up! We’ll chat about the top candidates, their backgrounds, and what they could bring to the team. From experienced veterans to fresh faces, we’ll break down who might be leading the Oilers next season.
Fans had mixed feelings about what they saw from Cody Ceci this season with the Oilers. But how did he really do? It’s fair to say his regular season was inconsistent, but did he find his game again in the postseason? Liam and Cam will give a grade on his regular season and playoff performance.
Draft picks are always a hot topic, and the Oilers have had their fair share of hits and misses. We’re putting together a tier list of all the draft picks who have played at least one game for the Oilers since 2010. From future stars to those who didn’t quite make the cut, we’ll rank them all and have some fun along the way.
There’s always something happening in the NHL, and today is no different. Joe Pavelski called it a day on his career and now the debate begins on his Hall of Fame case. Earlier today, Evgeny Kuznetsov parted ways with the Carolina Hurricanes and looks to be heading back to Russia. Finally, ESPN ranked the top 100 professional athletes since 2000, and where do you think Connor McDavid ranked? Liam and Cam will fill you in.
