February 5, 2023 by Josh Boulton

If you’ve been basing your opinion of the 2022-23 Edmonton Oilers on Twitter comments alone, you’d know they aren’t contenders. They still need a true number one defender. They still need another true top six winger. They still need a true number one goalie. They’re not deep enough. They’re not tough enough. The Oilers still have the same glaring problems they’ve had for two years.

General Manager Ken Holland needs to be fired with someone who’s willing to go all in and finally seek some actual solutions. 

That was what the consensus used to be anyway, even as of early January. After earning 18 of a possible 22 points in their last 11 games including a 7-0-1 run heading into the All-Star break, it turns out this group suddenly has a lot to offer. Key words being THIS group. And I stress the fact it’s the same group that’s always been there. Is it possible Ken Holland had the right pieces in place all along?

The signing of Evander Kane just over a year ago ended up being a massive success and a huge turning point in a season that saw the Oilers end up in the 2022 Western Conference Final. This July Holland locked Kane up for four years. 

Around the same time, Holland acquired goaltender Jack Campbell from the Toronto Maple Leafs. Campbell had impressive numbers for the Leafs in 2021 prior to being injured, and didn’t look at all out of place in a seven-game first round showdown with perennial superstar Andrei Vasilevsky of the Tampa Bay Lightning. Campbell started slow for the Oilers, but has settled in nicely as of late. Stuart Skinner was able to hold down the fort while Campbell got his bearings on his new team, and in December Holland negotiated Skinner’s three year extension, creating long term stability in the Oilers crease with two viable options to turn to at any given moment. 

Holland also re-signed speedy depth centre Ryan McLeod in September, setting the 2022-23 Oilers team up with arguably the best 1-2-3-4 centre depth chart in all of hockey (Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, and Ryan Mcleod), and providing a huge versatility aspect knowing McLeod could fill in on literally any line in the roster if need be and meaningfully contribute. 

In another brilliant move, Holland acquired forward Klim Kostin from the St. Louis Blues on October 9th. Kostin has been a regular in the Oilers lineup since his November 12th debut and has become a secondary scoring threat. Perhaps most importantly, he’s developed into a physical force willing to go to bat for any team mate.

One final notable move happened on January 9th, when defender Vincent Desharnais was activated at the NHL level from Bakersfield. Signed to a two-year deal by Ken Holland in March of 2022, he’s come on as yet another physical force for the big club as they begin their big push for their first Divisional title since 1987. Can you believe that’s even possible? I mean, a month ago it was near certain the Oilers wouldn’t even make the playoffs unless Holland did something drastic, wasn’t it? That’s what I was told anyway. 

Even though Holland “hasn’t done anything” and was allegedly just silently wasting away the careers of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl without a care in the world, the Oilers are, in fact, looking like contenders. And all these roster pieces that are stepping up and branding a real mark into the identity of this team, every single last one of them were acquired prior to the start of this season, before the Oilers ever played a single minute of the 2022-23 regular season. 

Ken Holland has created a future, a future that already includes a recipe for the short term success this fan base for some reason so desperately wants to pretend isn’t right there in front of them to enjoy.