Insider links 3 big names to vacant Oilers GM position.

The Edmonton Oilers are currently searching for a new general manager after the catastrophic tenure of Edmonton Oilers general manager Peter Chiarelli. Unfortunately given that the management group that will be conducting that search there has been very little hope that the Oilers will make a good choice this time around when they have failed so many times in the past. That being said though there may be some signs of hope. 

In a recent article for Sportsnet, National Hockey League insider Chris Johnston touched on the Oilers search for a new general manager and linked 3 very high profile candidates to that search.  That being said though Johnston did indicate that the Oilers will likely be fighting over these candidates with some of the other teams looking to fill vacancies, most notably the Seattle expansion franchise.

From Johnston(emphasis our own):

With the regular season winding down, there is a sense the Oilers search for a new general manager will start to ramp up in the next week or two. And, as Nick Kypreos reported on “Headlines,” it could also see the team bring in a president above that GM.

While there is no shortage of qualified candidates — Kelly McCrimmon, Mark Hunter, potentially Ken Holland, depending on how things play out in Detroit this off-season — Edmonton could find itself with competition for the most desirable names.

With perhaps the exception of Red Wings general manager Ken Holland who might be viewed as an extension of the "Old Boys Club" in Edmonton, these are all candidates that should excite the Oilers fan base. Even in the case of Holland, a general manager who has given out bad contracts to aging players he was loyal to, it's hard to argue with his track record of success at the helm of the Red Wings.

In the case of Kelly McCrimmon, although a candidate with no previous experience as an NHL general manager, you have one of the masterminds behind the Las Vegas Golden Knights expansion draft, a draft that was unquestionably successful for that franchise. McCrimmon also comes off as a guy who knows what he wants as he has previously rejected other offers to become a GM when he felt the situation would not give him full control over the team. 

Last but definitely not least we have former Toronto Maple Leafs assistant general manager Mark Hunter. A gifted talent evaluator who was largely credited for the acquistion of Mitch Marner by the Toronto Maple Leafs, a move that has unquestionably paid off in a major way for that organization. Hunter has plenty of experience managing a team with his incredible track record of success with the London Knights and the possibility of him joining the Oilers, and sparking a natural rivalry with Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas, should have fans in Edmonton salivating at the prospect.