Jeff Jackson's moves since filling in on GM duties for the Edmonton Oilers have fans wanting him to stay in the role.
Jeff Jackson's moves since filling in on GM duties for the Edmonton Oilers have fans wanting him to stay in the role.
Jeff Jackson's tenure as the Edmonton Oilers' acting GM has sparked considerable excitement among fans.
The CEO of hockey operations has filled in on GM duties after the team and previous GM Ken Holland mutually agreed to part ways on June 27.
Since then, Jackson's orchestrated a series of effective moves that have reshaped the Oilers' roster, despite a cap crunch that many believed would see players walk out the door.
His handling of the NHL draft saw Edmonton trade into the first round and pick up Sam O’Reilly, who has enticing upside in the London Knights system and keeps the Oilers' prospect pipeline flowing.
In free agency, he strategically retained players – such as Adam Henrique, Mattias Janmark, Connor Brown, Corey Perry and Troy Stecher – at discounted salaries while also bringing in new signings crucial to bolstering team depth, such as Jeff Skinner, Viktor Arvidsson and Josh Brown.
He then shed $2.1 million of cap space by trading Ryan McLeod to the Buffalo Sabres for highly touted and local prospect Matt Savoie.
As such, Oilers fans have even been petitioning to keep Jackson as CEO of hockey operations but remove the "acting" tag from his GM duties. A change.org petition has 757 signatures so far, which might not be a lot in some eyes but is still a notable number.
On June 27, Jackson said the team sought a full-time GM for the Oilers once the draft and free agency periods concluded. He emphasized that many desirable candidates had crucial responsibilities in their current organizations, necessitating a post-draft approach to discussions. However, Jackson's interim stewardship has left a profound impression on the Edmonton fan base.
Jackson has been aggressive, direct and wise in managing the complexities of his team’s NHL roster. Who better to tackle some of the big issues coming up for this team, including deals for Leon Draisaitl, Connor McDavid, and Evan Bouchard?
Jackson vs. Holland vs. a New GM
While it's not necessarily fair due to the limited sample size, there were inevitable comparisons between Jackson and former GM Ken Holland, who steered the Oilers through five seasons and multiple playoff appearances.
During his tenure, Holland brought in key forwards up and down the lineup through trades, the draft and free agency, such as Zach Hyman, Evander Kane, Dylan Holloway, Henrique and Janmark. He also replaced defensemen Oscar Klefbom and Adam Larsson with Tyson Barrie (who was moved for Mattias Ekholm), Cody Ceci and Brett Kulak. That said, Holland also signed goaltender Jack Campbell to a five-year contract that was bought out after two seasons.
With Holland, the Oilers reached Game 7 of the Stanley Cup final this past season. And still, Jackson's interim leadership has injected new optimism into the Oilers' fan base.
The lingering question now is whether Jackson will pursue the full-time GM role himself. If not, he faces the challenge of finding a successor capable of matching or surpassing Holland's achievements and the standard set by Jackson's interim performance. Many fans are eager to see what Jackson could accomplish with a full season at the helm, believing his interim success could be a preview of greater potential.
As Edmonton prepares for the upcoming season, the focus remains on the future leadership of the team. Draisaitl and Bouchard have one year left on their contracts, while McDavid has two. Whether Jackson continues to guide the Oilers or passes the torch to a new GM, they'll have to build on their momentum to keep their star players committed to Edmonton.
Jackson has set an early and high bar for any new potential hire. Some fans aren’t sure the new GM will meet it.
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