Sources: Kings expected to name Holland next GM

Ken Holland, who won 4 Stanley Cups arsenic an enforcement with the Detroit Red Wings, is expected to go the adjacent wide manager of the Los Angeles Kings, aggregate NHL sources confirmed to ESPN connected Monday.

Inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame arsenic a builder successful 2020, Holland replaces Rob Blake, the Kings' wide manager and vice president of hockey operations whose declaration was not renewed aft a 4th consecutive first-round playoff exit.

An announcement is expected aboriginal this week. Rod Pedersen, big of "The Rod Pedersen Show," was archetypal with the news.

Holland, 69, was the enforcement vice president and wide manager of the Red Wings from 1997 done 2019, winning 4 Stanley Cups for the franchise. He was bumped upstairs successful 2019 to elder vice president, clearing the mode for Steve Yzerman to go the team's wide manager.

That promotion lasted lone a month, arsenic Holland near to instrumentality implicit the Edmonton Oilers arsenic wide manager and president of hockey operations. Powered by stars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, the squad made the league finals successful 2022 and 2024, losing successful Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final past postseason with a roster Holland constructed. Among his cardinal acquisitions were guardant Zach Hyman (free agent) and defensemen Mattias Ekholm (via commercialized with Nashville) and Philip Broberg (drafted eighth successful 2019). The Oilers made the playoffs successful each 5 seasons of Holland's tenure.

Holland's five-year declaration with the Oilers expired connected July 1, 2024. Edmonton yet hired erstwhile Blackhawks GM Stan Bowman to regenerate him. Since then, Holland had been moving arsenic a advisor to the NHL's hockey operations department.

Sources told ESPN that Holland had been considering a beforehand bureau relation with the New York Islanders, either arsenic squad president, wide manager oregon both. Former Montreal Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin, a elder advisor for the Kings who galore believed mightiness beryllium their adjacent wide manager, is successful the premix for the Islanders' openings.

Holland volition instrumentality implicit a Kings roster that features holdovers from their Stanley Cup wins successful 2012 and 2014 (Anze Kopitar and Drew Doughty), scorers successful their premier (Adrian Kempe and Kevin Fiala), young players connected the emergence (Quinton Byfield and Brandt Clarke) and goalie Darcy Kuemper, who was a finalist for the Vezina Trophy this season.

But Los Angeles has failed to beforehand past the archetypal circular of the playoffs since 2014. The Kings had mislaid 4 consecutive first-round bid to the Edmonton Oilers -- conveniently, Holland's erstwhile squad -- including their six-game decision this postseason.

Holland volition present find the destiny of Jim Hiller, who finished his archetypal play arsenic Kings caput manager aft serving connected an interim ground successful 2023-24. Hiller was an adjunct manager with the Red Wings for 1 play (2014-15) during Holland's clip successful Detroit.