Hockey fans have had a field day second-guessing and criticizing former Red Wings and current Oilers GM Ken Holland. This trip to the final should quiet them, says Ken Campbell.
Quick question: How many teams do you figure would want to have an executive who has four Stanley Cup rings and seven trips to the final on his resume?
Because that's exactly what Edmonton Oilers GM Ken Holland has done. That might be one of the reasons he's in the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Has Holland made some terrible moves? Yup. Bad draft picks? Check. Questionable signings? No question.
But guess what? So has every other person who has ever run a hockey department for any significant length of time.
If the Oilers win the Stanley Cup, Holland will have had his name etched on the trophy five times. Do you know who else has done that? Glen Sather. Check his record with the New York Rangers and get back to us.
Jim Nill of the Dallas Stars (a Holland protege), Bill Zito of the Florida Panthers and Patrik Allvin of the Vancouver Canucks are all worthy recipients of the NHL's Jim Gregory GM of the Year Award for 2023-24. It's an award Holland would have won numerous times if it had been established before 2010. And Holland would have been a worthy finalist this season.
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