Time for Oilers to part ways with GM Stan Bowman – Hockey Writers – Edmonton Oilers

After assembling their best roster during the Connor McDavid era for the 2024-25 season, the Edmonton Oilers have opted to part ways with then-general manager (GM) Ken Holland. The longtime NHL GM and former goaltender wasn’t perfect during his time with the Oilers, but he seemed to put together a good enough cast to give this team a chance to win the Stanley Cup.

Despite winning just one win before the Cup, the Oilers moved on from Holland and finally brought in Stan Bowman. Many questioned that decision at the time, and it has become abundantly clear that it was a mistake from the front office.

The Oilers have gotten worse under Bowman, and one move he made could prevent them from ever winning a Stanley Cup under McDavid. Although he has been employed for less than two years, it is time for the Oilers to move on from Bowman this offseason.

Bowman Made Many Critical Mistakes

It’s hard to fathom just how disastrous Bowman’s tenure with the Oilers has been. Yes, there have been some great moves, none better than acquiring Vasily Podkolzin from the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for a fourth round draft pick. He also said Kasperi Kapanen was let go, and smartly signed Jack Roslovic. Unfortunately, that move isn’t enough to outweigh the damage he’s done.

Heading into last year’s trade deadline, the Oilers made two separate deals to bring in forward Trent Frederic and defenseman Jake Walman. Both were iconic figures at the time, and to Bowman’s credit, Walman played a key role for the Oilers in what was their second straight year in the Stanley Cup Finals.

The issue is the extensions given to both players. Let’s start with Wallman, who inked a seven-year, $49 million deal just before the start of the 2025-26 season. It was a move that was questioned at the time, as many believed that although Walman was a solid player and continues to be a solid player, he was not worth giving $7 million a year, especially given the Oilers’ cap issues. He averaged less than 19 minutes per game in the regular season, and less than 17 minutes in six postseason outings. This extension, which starts next season, isn’t a complete disaster, but one the Oilers would rather not have on the books.

Then it was Frederic’s deal. Despite recording just four points in 22 games played, Bowman opted to sign Frederick, a sixth-rounder, to an eight-year, $30.8 million deal. It was very shocking to see that the Oilers chose Frederic instead of Connor Brown, a better player who signed a four-year, $12 million contract with the New Jersey Devils.

It seems that everyone knew from the start that Frederic’s contract was bad, although few would have thought it looked as bad as it did this early on. The 28-year-old has had a tough season, scoring four goals and seven points in 74 games. He even stayed healthy for two playoff games. Although he has a cap hit of $3.85 million, one could argue that Frederic has the worst contract in the entire NHL.

And, just when you thought things couldn’t get any worse, Bowman made one of the worst trades in recent memory this past December in an attempt to fix the Oilers’ goaltending situation. Opted to trade Stuart Skinner and Brett Kulak, two pending unrestricted free agents, and a 2029 second-round pick in exchange for Tristan Jarry and American Hockey League (AHL) forward Samuel Poulin.

This trade is already a total disaster. Jarry missed the regular season for the Oilers, and got one start. And, instead of being able to walk away from him in the short term as they would have with Skinner, Jarry is still under contract through the 2027-28 campaign with a deal with a negative cap hit of $5.375 million. Wow.

Bowman May Close Oilers’ Cup Win Window

These deals from Bowman, especially the Frederic extension and the Jarry trade, caused a lot of headaches for the Oilers moving forward. They will make it difficult for the organization to make the necessary changes they need to make in the offseason to fill the holes in their roster, especially between the pipes. That said, if there is any hope of getting out of this mess, Bowman needs to be fired and replaced with a competent GM.