Jeff Jackson has set the tone for the Oilers’ next general manager

A week after the City of Edmonton was left heartbroken from a Game 7 Stanley Cup Final loss, Jeff Jackson restored joy on the opening day of NHL free agency.

The Oilers’ CEO and interim general manager, following the departure of Ken Holland, went shopping on Canada Day, bolstering the lineup with the additions of Jeff Skinner and Viktor Arvidsson. Jackson also managed to re-sign Mattias Janmark, Connor Brown, and Adam Henrique, who all became fan favourites during the team’s playoff run. While many assumed Edmonton could bring back at least two of those players, the news of Henrique’s return stunned the city in a great way.

Calvin Pickard, Corey Perry, and Troy Stecher re-signed as well, however, the Oilers did lose Warren Foegele to the Los Angeles Kings and Vincent Desharnais to the Vancouver Canucks. While those two provided moments in Copper and Blue and became well-liked personalities, the Oilers appear to be a stronger team now than they were one week ago.

Of course, there’s the matter of the salary cap, but fans don’t care about that right now. They’re happy to see management going all-in on a team that was a win away from hockey glory. Fans have watched the Vegas Golden Knights manipulate the cap year after year and are now thrilled to see their team taking advantage.

Free agency wasn’t the first sign of aggression from Jackson, so perhaps we should have seen the events on July 1st coming. At the 2024 NHL Entry Draft in Las Vegas, Nevada, the Oilers traded back into the first round after moving their own first-round selection ahead of the trade deadline. They acquired the 32nd overall pick from the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for their own first-rounder in either 2025 or 2026.

Rick Pracey, the director of amateur scouting, opted to go with Sam O’Reilly from the London Knights for his first pick with the Oilers. Steven Ellis from Daily Faceoff stated that O’Reilly was one of the biggest movers in the draft rankings due to his play as a smart, two-way center. He had a solid playoff run, too, playing a great secondary role. Furthermore, Ellis noted that O’Reilly put up better numbers than Easton Cowan did last year and just below Denver Barkey, which is a good sign.

Fans had mixed reviews about the selection. Not because of the player, but due to moving on from a first-round pick ahead of the 2025 NHL trade deadline. Jackson addressed that, saying the cupboards are getting bare in Edmonton and they need to start piling up talent for the future. It’s hard to disagree with that. Additionally, it showed the new Oilers are willing to do whatever it takes to get their guy, which should encourage fans once the deadline comes around.

What many others had tried and failed, Jackson defined what going all in truly means. The tone is now set for what a general manager needs to perform during the Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl era. Fans should have faith that Jackson picks the right person for the job too. With that said, let’s hope he stays away from Stan Bowman.