Another massive mistake by GM Ken Holland on display
Last season, the Oilers felt that they were the favorite from the West to take the Stanley Cup. Because of those thoughts, the team did whatever they needed to try to bolster the team to make a long playoff run. That was cut short after losing to the Vegas Golden Knights in the second round.
Holland took a big swing by acquiring Nick Bjugstad from the Arizona Coyotes along with Cam Dineen in exchange for a third-round pick in 2023 and Oilers prospect Michael Kesselring.
The Coyotes played the San Jose Sharks last night and Kesselring showed the talent he has as he scored two beautiful goals in back-to-back games.
It's very common these days that GM's look for term and longevity when making a trade especially giving up prospects. These players will give you the flexibility in your cap as more expensive players may need to move on and they would refill their spot.
Having only retained Bjugstad for half a season and re-signing with the Coyotes while losing Kesselring leaves a bad taste and depletes the Oilers in future seasons.
With the salary cap going up and salaries also rising, players like Kesselring will become more valuable and needed shortly. The Oilers can't afford to lose these types of players.
| POLL | ||
DECEMBRE 22 | 343 ANSWERS Another massive mistake by GM Ken Holland on display Should the Oilers have re-signed Nick Bjugstad this season? | ||
| Yes, You need to keep what you traded for | 232 | 67.6 % |
| No, he wasn't a good fit. | 111 | 32.4 % |
| List of polls | ||
