Edmonton Oilers promote Brad Holland to assistant GM

The Edmonton Oilers have updated the status of several members of the front office and coaching staff, confirming that Glen Gulutzan, Dave Manson, Dustin Schwartz, Jeremy Coupal and Keith Gretzky will all be returning to their current positions. Changes include Noah Segall being promoted to video coordinator from the AHL club, and Brad Holland being named assistant general manager.

Holland’s promotion is the headline, not only because of his obvious ties to Oilers general manager Ken Holland (his father) but also the fact that he had been chased by other organizations this summer. Chris Johnston of TSN and Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff both tweeted that there was significant interest from other teams.

The 41-year-old AGM joined the Oilers in 2019 as a pro scout and has a history that includes stops with the NHL’s hockey operations department and Toronto Maple Leafs.

Retaining Gulutzan and Manson is also an important distinction, as Jay Woodcroft enters his first full season with the club after seeing the interim tag removed this summer. The assistant coaches can help the rookie head coach navigate the waters as the Oilers attempt to go on another deep playoff run. Manson, who came up with Woodcroft from the AHL, will also be in his first full season behind an NHL bench, though he sat on it for more than 1,100 games as a player.