It appears Ken Holland is set to resume a general manager role in the NHL.
According to Sportsnet`s Elliotte Friedman, all signs point towards the Los Angeles Kings nearing an agreement to make Holland their new GM.
Friedman anticipates that the deal`s finalization should occur over the next few days.
Holland`s return to a GM position follows a season where he served as a consultant in the NHL`s Operations Department. This consulting role began after his contract concluded, following the Edmonton Oilers` Game 7 loss in the 2024 Stanley Cup Final.
The 69-year-old veteran has a distinguished 27-season career as an NHL general manager with both the Oilers and the Detroit Red Wings, achieving four Stanley Cup championships and a total of 1,145 regular-season wins.
The Kings and former GM Rob Blake parted ways mutually on May 5. This decision came after Los Angeles was eliminated in the first round by Edmonton for the fourth consecutive time.
Blake, a former NHL defenseman, led the Kings` front office for eight seasons but did not secure any playoff series victories during his tenure.
Notably, Holland was the general manager for the Edmonton team that defeated the Kings in three of those recent playoff encounters.
Friedman first mentioned the Kings` potential interest in Holland on May 5 during the 32 Thoughts Podcast, noting that his name was “starting to circulate” among the team`s leadership.
With Holland potentially taking charge, he is expected to leverage the Kings` estimated $23 million in salary cap space ahead of free agency. Key unrestricted free agents for Los Angeles this off-season include defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov and forward Andrei Kuzmenko.
Tristan Blackwood