Edmonton Oilers rank in NHL's basement when it comes to fan confidence in management

Ken Holland isn't doing too much to instill confidence in the fans of the Oilers.

HockeyFeed
HockeyFeed
Published 2 years ago
Edmonton Oilers rank in NHL's basement when it comes to fan confidence in management
TSN

The legacy of current Edmonton Oilers GM Ken Holland can't be questioned, as during his time in the Motor City, he earned the right to have his name engraved on the Stanley Cup a whopping four times, three as Detroit's GM. 

But prior to Steve Yzerman's return to Detroit in April of 2019, Holland had fallen out of favor with Detroit Red Wings fans for numerous regrettable trades and exorbitant free agent signings for aging and underperforming players that the team continues to deal with today. And he's dealing with plenty of wrath from Oilers fans after acquiring past-his-prime 38 year old defenseman Duncan Keith in deal that sent young Caleb Jones and a 3rd round draft selection back to the Windy City. 

Additionally, he inked defenseman Darnell Nurse to a massive eight-year contract extension worth $9,250,000 annually, gave Ryan Nugent-Hopkins a full no-movement clause in his recent eight-year extension, signing Zach Hyman to a seven-year contract, and bringing back Tyson Barrie on a three-year contract worth $4,500,000 annually. 

Holland's moves haven't exactly instilled confidence in the fans of the Oilers. In fact, according to a recent fan survey from The Athletic, Edmonton ranks near the bottom of overall fan confidence in their front office - 28th place, to be exact. 

Check out a few comments from the Oilers faithful: 

“The Oilers are going to waste having two of the top players in the league, in their primes, because they are inept at making any sort of free agent move that doesn’t handcuff them”

“Trading for Duncan Keith without having Chicago retain any salary was an absolute show of incompetence by Ken Holland. The Ceci contract was another moment which caused me to bang my head against a wall and cry.”

“Since 2006, watching Oilers management decisions (including the choice of each new manager) has been like having the same bad dream again and again, a bit like seeing an accident happen in front of you in slow motion while being powerless to stop it.”

Are these fans being unfair, not critical enough, or just about right?