NHL Insider suggests major leadership change for Oilers

We've already seen a perfect example of the cultural problem that affects some National Hockey League teams that fans like to refer to as the "Old Boy's Club" earlier this week. The Philadelphia Flyers decided to hire yet another former player of theirs and put him in a major position of power, as Keith Jones is now their president of hockey operations. 

Could we see a similar move with the Edmonton Oilers? As you may know, they're currently being run by Ken Holland, who was once thought of as perhaps the best executive in the game during his career with the Detroit Red Wings. According to Frank Seravalli of The Daily Faceoff, the Oilers could soon replace Holland with former defenseman Steve Staios. 

Right now, Staios serves as special advisor to Edmonton's hockey operations staff with a focus on player development.

“I think change is on the horizon in Edmonton,” said Seravalli. “When you consider what is looming out there in other searches, I expect the Oilers to be very proactive and protective of Steve Staios. He is someone they value, and they have a thin staff as it is. The Oilers see Staios as their next general manager, and how quickly that happens will depend on a few things." 

“I won’t be shocked, I’m not reporting this, just this is what the speculation has been behind the scenes, is that there is a possibility Ken Holland will be promoted to President of Hockey Operations and Steve Staios is promoted to general manager,” Seravalli continued.

However, there would be one considerable hurdle to clear before that became a possibility. As you may remember, the Red Wings wanted to do the exact same thing with Holland in 2010 so that they could promote Steve Yzerman to the GM position. But Holland refused, so Yzerman left the organization to take the gig with the Tampa Bay Lightning and would soon turn them into a powerhouse. At the same time, Holland would soon saddle Detroit with numerous anchor contracts, bad trades, and ineffective drafting that Yzerman would have to spend considerable time cleaning up upon his return to Detroit as GM in 2019. 

Don't be surprised to see Holland once again refuse to step aside from the general manager's position if the Oilers ask him to in order to promote Staios.