Ken Holland Talks Oilers Window, The Hardest Trade He's Made, and Vacuum Cleaners | After Hours

Ken Holland joins Scott Oake and Louie DeBrusk on After Hours to chat about the nucleus of the Oilers and their open window, what it's like breaking trade news to players, and a career path that almost came to fruition.
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[@forfuxakes6814]

Holland really hit a home run on the Ekholm deal👍🏻 And the boys are hitting their stride at the perfect time👊

[@hockeyhitsheavy]

4 years, he built a contender team. Kudos! Made good moves, depth, defense, goalie (didn't work the best but still he tried).

[@stephenletts4942]

Two shut outs?

[@SirManfly]

@@stephenletts4942 So? They’re winning aren’t they? That’s the only thing that matters isn’t it? 🙄

[@dannowicki3696]

And that being said, Campbell can still rebound even if it's not this year.

[@hockeyhitsheavy]

@@dannowicki3696 totally!!

[@pmccoy8924]

He is missed in Detroit but he is also the reason Detroit is where it is. A lot of boneheaded contracts, just play to get in, etc. He has two of the top 5 players on the planet and were there when he got there. That being said, his accomplishments speak for themselves. Entire core was there when he showed up. Campbell plays like he did in Toronto they're going deep.

[@emstorm1725]

Fantastic interview! Thank you, Ken Holland for giving us so much to cheer for!!!

[@krisrolph1058]

He's added Hyman, Kane and Ekholm. He's had faith in our prospects and never panic bought. Nurse is overpaid by like 1-1.5m and Campbell's contract hasn't shaped out too good, both other than that every move he has made is a straight fat W. Everyone memes on his for always bringing up his time in Detroit but that was his only other team, and people seemingly forget how dominant Detroit was during his tenure. People also forget what our roster looked like when he took over.

[@wt8213]

Nurse 3m over if not 9.25m over lmao

[@saschaganser9671]

It was a non cap world, a different story. And people tend to forget how the roster looked like when he left.

[@moj9157]

The only reason why Nurse is getting paid so much, is because they couldn't afford to let him walk, it'd put the team in an even more terrible position with defense, and they waited too long to sign him, which resulted in a panic move to make him stay therefore leading to a 9.25 Million dollar contract.

[@donaldvuong4188]

​@@wt8213 id say 2 honestly

[@anthonyk4453]

Very easy to look good when gifted two of the best players in history

[@Buddzzy]

Way to sit in the pocket! Holland handled that with class! What a beauty! 💪🏼🍻👊🏼

[@KingNugget132]

Underrated GM

[@KK-----]

apologize to ken for trying to get him fired. he is the best gm edmonton have had in a long time

[@zw3063]

I'm a huge Ken Holland fan. Great interview

[@nicholasdr.8152]

The Oilers have been rising year over year, the proof is in the numbers. Ken Holland, besides being a class act human being has done an excellent job fine tuning the team, can’t wait for the playoffs to begin!

[@ryans413]

So all the Red Wing fans and some Oilers fans that said Holland would destroy this team can we agree you were all wrong. Look at what Holland has done he was able to bring in guys during the small rebuild stage and still give the team a shot at playoffs in 2020 and 2021 did not go the way everyone wanted them he fired Tippet went against his own rule of not firing a coach mid season but Ken said he had a gut feeling it had too be done. Then he secured Kane and was able to get him on a cheap deal then this season got Ekholm that’s been a perfect fit. And let’s not forget picking up Hymann that’s boosted the offence. Now he has not been perfect The Nurse deal the Campbell deal trading away top picks for AA that didn’t stick around. He got tones of hate for Mike Smith but Smith played amazing down the stretch right into round 3 of the playoffs. It’s been up down like a toilet seat but it seems to be leaving off now and looking good. What’s Detroit doing oh yea still rebuilding.

[@tman6663]

Our saviour!! Best GM we’ve had since Glen Sather!! Thank you, Mr Ken Holland!

[@munkeslamik2708]

Mattias eklund my favourite oiler

[@adamj.8398]

Lol, glad someone else noticed

[@moj9157]

Jeez, they really put him on the spot with that McDavid question

[@JoeKirwins]

Who is Mattias Eklund? That’s what it said in the subs/adds page 🤣

[@TAN.888]

The question about McDavid wasting his years in Edmonton is awful. Honestly most of these questions have zero tact, except the deadline questions.

[@1980DEVILSREJECTS]

All coming from Leafs media and Fans who haven't seen the 2nd round of playoffs since 04 lol

[@freakytales808]

I trust Ken to get it done

[@stoneysopranoyukon9398]

Great work uncle Kenny ! LET'S GO OILERS !!!

[@dannowicki3696]

I'll bet you all them Oiler fans who said to get rid of Holland are eating there comments now!!!! Great work with the team Holland, we are lucky to have you as are GM

[@ufdan15]

I'd have to imagine the "hardest" trade that Holland made has to be Slava Kozlov when he went and got Hasek in 2001. I realize the Wings PROBABLY don't win the Cup without Hasek, but in hindsight that had to sting for Slava. Plus, I know Fetisov and Vladdy were gone, but he still had his Russian brethren of Fedorov and Larionov, and he was a member of that locker room for nearly a decade.

[@differenttigers]

Brad Holland deserves a lot of credit for the impact he's made since joining the staff as AGM. The difference in the trades and contracts is black and white. He's no doubt doing a ton of work behind the scenes

[@joshuaneil8462]

Ken Holland you have been a God send and anyone who says otherwise is out to lunch…barely needs to be stated but there are some real crazies out here 🧐

[@dolorfamily]

Looking forward to Oilers in the Stanley Cup Finals 2023...

[@simonwood6008]

In Ken we trust

[@davidgriffith3938]

Is that the same Ken Holland that played goalie for the Broome County Dusters in the late 70's???

[@SirManfly]

Yup !!

[@davidgriffith3938]

@@SirManfly Nice! He was my hometown hockey hero when I was 12 years old! Thanks Ken, and congratulations on a distiguished career in hockey!

[@Tribuneoftheplebs]

​​@@davidgriffith3938 he built a winner in detroit and is about to do it again in Edmonton. Hall of fame GM for sure

[@smarty432]

Best trades ever, Ekholm, Kostin and Bujgstad in that order. the added big boys as required for this team!

[@adriantschetter7083]

Looks like a very likable guy!

[@thomasmuller546]

Nice interview

[@ankurjohriddsmd]

I wish he didn't sign Nurse long term...

[@ChrisYellowbird]

Many ppl dont realize this, but its the Nurse contract that will keep McDavid and Draisaitl here long term as well. The core wants to stay together and win together.

[@chasegreen1790]

Mattias Eklund 😂

[@mr_jones7768]

Mattias Eklund 😍🥰

[@allthatyoutouch3164]

One reason Glen Sather was so successful for the Oilers is that he kept the main players together long enough to gel. Gretzky and Kurri almost became psychic.

[@1980DEVILSREJECTS]

Leon deal is up 1 year before Connors. I believe they wanna stick together so if Leon signs say an 8 year deal Oilers keep Connor. Now Leon signs 1 year deal and both him and Connor deals are up together then you gotta trade them

[@mrfake675]

He's done well the last couple years.

[@curtiswhite6662]

At the beginning of the year this team was considered mediocre and a wildcard spot for playoffs and now they are being projected as cup favourites, hopefully the beginning of a dynasty

[@lyssalud6781]

actually here for the vacuum cleaners

[@JH-db9jc]

he got rid of Jesse poorly rv, thank you Kenny! All the best to Jesse, he needed a change and fresh start somewhere else

[@archangelgabriel5316]

Who the hell is Mattias Eklund? You did it again...Its Mattias EKHOLM. Lol.

[@THELEAFSFAN]

Playoffs are going to be so much fun

[@mirkacz]

Eklund? Again?

[@saschaganser9671]

I`m so-so on Ken Holland as a gm. He`s a great guy, just alone how much he gives credits to Peter Chiarelli, who was seen controversial. Holland made some pretty good decisions, Hyman worked out well, Kane worked out well and RNH contract is a steal for now. Those 3 locked up for 15,75m cap hit is an asset. He got Barrie who was great, don`t forget that the got Kulak and Ceci, both playing really good for their cap hit. T The downside, he overpaid Nurse, and that propably by 2,5 - 3m. It was always an issue in Hollands later days that he overpaid veterans ( I remember from DET, Weiss, Frans Nielsen, etc.). If he got Nurse locked up for 6,5m or maybe 7, that would be allright. Now Nurse is just overpaid. Campbell didn`t work out yet, and so far looks like a cap grave, especially if he`s only the backup to Skinner. The Oilers have now 3 chances, till Draisaitls contract is up. Now his 8,5m look like the best contract in the league. They need to win, and i`m not sure if they can make it happen, they still allow to many goals against.

[@Bruh-lf3sk]

The nurse hate is honestly getting old, people are acting like he’s not a top pairing dman. Is he over paid? Yes, but give it a few years when the cap rises it’ll be easily fair value. For the last five years he has always played over 23 min a game and has been lacking any defensemen who can lighten the load for him. Now that we have ekholm do people notice how much better nurse has been playing (not that he was even playing bad)? People need to stop basing how they feel about a player because of their nhl 23 rating. That 2.5-3m overpay range you came up with is absurd when you consider what the market value was when the signed that extension. I would say 1-1.5m of an overpay.

[@frankytanky5076]

Nurse and ek together are an absolute force as a 1-2 d combo. The nurse hate was always ridiculous but nurse the last bit has been back to being elite.

[@saschaganser9671]

@@Bruh-lf3sk Lol, where`s that hate? Nurse has played 23 mins on average and that was a reason the Oilers were not contender. Just because everyone else got around 9m that summer, doesn`t mean Nurse should have gotten that deal. Nurse is a good, above average D. He`s just not a top 10 D in the league, but paid as the 7th best. For this contract he lacks either offensive output, or defensive stability. Nurse is good, the terms he`s signed on are not. You say at 8m a year Nurse is fairly paid? I don`t agree, i think that Nurse should be 6.5 or 7m, maybe 7.5m.

[@saschaganser9671]

@@frankytanky5076 You get the point. You pair Nurse with an elite defender like Ekholm, and he`s better. Who should get the money than? Nurse is a good player, but at 9,25m cap hit, he`s overpaid. By a good amount.

[@dnice4145]

​@@saschaganser9671 there is alot of useless hate directed his way. Nurse's game has suffered from needing to shoulder too much of the tougher minutes recently. The loss of Larson and Klefbom weakend the oilers hand in that negotiation they had to sign Nurse and that was the going rate. At this point it's a stupid and nonsensical argument to be making, this team needs Nurse if they are interested in trying to win now.

[@ClassicalSquaresoft]

Ken: Tyson Berry you're traded to a sucky team. See you later! have a good career! oh and have a few drinks.

[@siddiq106]

There's no good way of telling a player he's been traded.

[@okyouknowwhatever]

@@siddiq106 I remember Kristian Huselius telling about when he got traded from Florida, Mike Keenan called him and said "I've traded you to Calgary, good luck man" and then hung up the phone. 😆

[@Wi3dMaN]

Scott Oake is terrible.

[@jonbenjisnomore7935]

Ron McLean 2.0

[@joshuaneil8462]

Let Lou get a word in Yikes

[@joegladue8863]

Lmao shes a joke

[@barrymarsden4300]

Lol still no goalie and no number 1 defense- good luck winning a cup on two players

[@codyhertzler2387]

How does he still have a job

[@sprinklermadness]

Ekholm and having Nashville pay just enough of his salary so we had room to sign Bjugstad was the 2 best moves any GM made all season.

[@sanpotkins4705]

Count on the American marketing spin machine that is Sportsnet to play up with a terrible place it is to play here in the city of Champions.

[@ericasavannah]

Servus🔥

[@michaelscore6763]

❤