While the Edmonton Oilers do not currently have a general manager, or GM, it does not appear to have hampered the team’s offseason. The Oilers have still been quite bold this offseason, orchestrating a draft night trade, signing a number of free agents, and adding a top flight prospect in Matthew Savoie in a trade. Behind it all is the same man leading the search for the team’s next GM, Oilers President Jeff Jackson.
Should Jeff Jackson consider himself for the role? Let’s take a look at what Jackson brings to the front office and how that might affect the Oilers GM search.
The case for
Hired by the Oilers a summer ago, Jackson has seemed to meet every challenge his position demands. Famously, Jackson was Connor McDavid’s agent prior to taking the job, also representing Evan Bouchard and Connor Brown as well. The most cynical reading might have been that the move was made out of sheer desperation, a pandering to their superstar as UFA status loomed. Once again, in November, as the Oilers season nearly went up in smoke, Jackson and the Oilers hired McDavid’s Junior Coach, Kris Knoblauch. It might have been fair to question the state of the Oilers at this point, but the group came together in the end, falling just short of an all-time Stanley Cup victory.
Through it all there have consistently been signs that Jackson is more than a familiar face. Jackson was quick to describe Knoblauch as a rising star of a coach, perhaps echoing this narrative. Even prior to the coaching change Jackson was at work, bolstering the various departments within the organisation, hiring a new director of amateur scouting and adding Michael Parkatti to director of data and analytics.
As an agent Jackson not only got a closer look at front offices around the league, but also relied on analytics and player development to best serve his clients. We are seeing that Jackson is taking the wisdom gained from these collaborative endeavours and applying them to a different scale. The team operating some of the busiest weeks of the calendar without a GM speaks to Jackson’s control of the situation, the humility to equip and empower the faculties of the organization.
The case against
Jackson has been steadfast in his appreciation for the work that Ken Holland did with the Oilers. Despite this the sides split ways. Even prior to Holland’s departure the Oilers moves had Jackson’s fingerprints all over them, revealing a few truths.
First, team presidents have become the true power of the front office, similar perhaps to the power dynamics of NBA front offices. 20 years ago, NHL presidents were more focused on the business operations of the team, often with little input on hockey related decisions. 20 years from now, every NHL president will likely be thought of as the team’s large-scale visionary. In short, presidents now shape the more existential reflections for the team, such as “who are we?” and “how do we get to where we want to go?” GMs are becoming a more micro-scale position, perhaps running point on the specific negotiations and decisions of the day-to-day.
This is a good thing for Jackson’s supporters. All the qualities that make him a great GM candidate seem to fit a president’s role well. Moreover, the Oilers have him in their corner already. His public comments suggest he has no intention of taking on the role, instead emphasising his willingness to hire the right candidate. From some standpoint, it might even be foolish for Jackson to put himself in a role with faster turnover. It is a level of personal risk that seems out of character, and everything we have seen from Jackson points to a willingness to excel through collaboration.
What is he looking for?
With the opportunity to hire an important high level collaborator, Jackson sets the parameters for the Oilers GM search. An openness to Jackson’s ideas and the apparatuses he built within the organisation will be integral to a candidacy. Jackson will be looking to upgrade through cohesion, to some extent. Perhaps this type of hire might be similar to Knoblauch, a rising GM talent that Jackson has experience working with in some capacity.
Jackson might also take the opportunity to add a foil, someone with a different outlook or history than him. As Jackson is still relatively new to running a team, adding experience might be a priority. These candidates will include a lot of maligned former GMs, which fans might roll their eyes at. Outside of the obvious moral questions that surround Stan Bowman, veteran GMs like Jim Benning might not be popular among fans. Things might go better this time around with Jackson to chart the larger scale planning, and Jackson’s trust of such a candidate should be thought of as a meaningful endorsement.
Finally, we might see Jackson hire from a different pool within the hockey world, perhaps even an agent like he once was. There are sectors that are earning more and more opportunities in NHL front offices, including agents and data analysts. A hiring from these sectors would be bold, but one would think that Jackson would be predisposed to thinking that those in these other roles could make an effective transition.
In the end there is precedent for an NHL president to conduct a GM search only to give themselves to the role. Both Kyle Dubas and Steve Staios did exactly so in the past calendar year. Valuations of hubris aside, at the very least conducting a GM search can offer insights and opinions from a number of qualified sources. Should Jackson choose to take the Oilers GM role for himself, the experience of interviewing candidates is valuable, especially for a young executive.
As is the case with the on ice team, the Oilers front office is bigger than any one individual. A unified team with a diversity of knowledge and skills is the only path to success, but it is a broad one. Whatever the Oilers decide to do, it’s clear that the team is in good hands. Coming off of a fantastic season, Jackson and the Oilers have absolutely attacked the offseason so far. There is still a lot of work to do before the games count, but there is a lot to be happy about across Oil Country.
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