Edmonton Oilers fans might want to throw up...
During the current off-season, you can't say that Ken Holland has been idle, as he doesn't seem to be getting much sleep since the summer began. The Edmonton Oilers' big man, who built quite a reputation during his long reign with the Detroit Red Wings, gave eight-season deals to two of his mainstays, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Darnell Nurse, among others.
Add to that the monster seven-year, $38.5 million contract he gave to Zach Hyman to add character to his roster...
He also acquired veteran defenseman Duncan Keith, who, at 38, is not the same player he once was. To acquire his services, he paid quite a bit of money, giving away Caleb Jones and a conditional pick in the 2022 NHL Draft.
He also lost Adam Larsson, who is now a member of the Seattle Kraken, so he turned to Tyson Barrie (new three-year contract) and Cody Ceci to fill the void.
He also brought back Mike Smith for two years at an average salary of $2.2 million...
In Connor McDavid's case, he has an eight-year deal in his pocket, which will end in 2025-26. Signing McDavid to an eight-year deal is a great deal, no doubt about it. But RNH and Nurse for eight years is HUGE. Hyman for seven years makes no sense.... Then to turn to Mike Smith and Duncan Keith, is this proof that Ken Holland is aiming for a Stanley Cup in the short term? If so, he may be disappointed... and the fans may vomit!
Because, over time, I would say that 50% of the long-term bets on players have not paid off. Currently, the Oilers have McDavid, Hyman, RNH and Nurse on long-term contracts, which is worrisome for the future, except in the case of McDavid, who is a generational player. Hence the thought that fans might be more likely to vomit than rejoice in the next 3-4 or 5 seasons.
