Holland reveals some of his strategies in free agency.

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Ryan Hall
July 8, 2023 (9:29)

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After the season ended, NHL pundits across the league stated that the Edmonton Oilers would find themselves in a position of cap hell. Before unrestricted free agency day, the Oilers had seven restricted and unrestricted free agents to sign or release, with only $5.9 million at their disposal.

Holland decided to make a controversial trade with the Detroit Red Wings, where he moved former first-round draft pick, Kailer Yamamoto, along with Oilers fan favourite Klim Kostin, for future considerations. This trade was a pure salary dump, relieving the Oilers of their cap troubles.
Holland is working around the edges of his team due to a limited budget and uncertainty regarding Evan Bouchard's contract demands.

Consequently, Holland could only bring in a small number of unrestricted free agents or re-sign existing players to significantly reduced deals.
He believes that by signing these players to low-cost contracts now, the Oilers will eventually have to pay a price as these players continue to develop or perform better, thus warranting a pay raise.

Holland stated, "We're trying to win now. You've had the heat on me since I arrived here, so you must love this today."

There is one saving grace for Holland and the rest of the NHL general managers. With the COVID pandemic behind us, the NHL announced that the salary cap will remain flat until all the required money is paid back.

After that, the cap will begin to rise again, with a projected increase of at least $4-5 million per year for the next few years, to catch up to where it should have been before 2020. If Holland remains the general manager for the next year or two, he will have a better chance of signing more talented yet expensive players who can contribute to their success.