For three and a half weeks last summer, during the most pivotal time of year with respect to negotiations between players and teams, the Edmonton Oilers were without a permanent general manager (GM). The contract of Edmonton’s previous GM Ken Holland expired on July 1, and it would not be until July 24 that the Oilers hired Stan Bowman as his replacement.
Between Holland’s departure and Bowman’s arrival, CEO of Hockey Operations Jeff Jackson filled in as Oilers’ interim general manager, and was very busy. Over those 23 days, Edmonton signed new contracts with 14 players and made a pair of trades involving a total of five players and one draft pick. The majority of those transactions came on July 1, the opening day of free agency.
The “Jeff Jackson Era” was a fleeting but consequential moment in time. Twelve months later, after another incredible year of hockey in Oil Country that saw the Oilers once again fall just short of capturing the Stanley Cup, we look back at the best and worst of Jackson’s moves:
The Best: Re-Signed Corey Perry to a One-Year Contract Worth $1.4 Million, Including Bonus Incentives
Perry had a season for the ages, no pun intended. He might be the first player in NHL history to play better at age 39 than at age 38, and cranked it up another notch when he turned 40 during the playoffs.
The veteran suited up for 81 games in 2024-25, ranking fifth on the Oilers in goals (19) and fourth in plus/minus (plus-22). He was pivotal to Edmonton’s postseason run, scoring 10 times, fourth most among all players in the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
While his offensive contributions far exceeded expectations, Perry also provided the leadership and experience that he was signed for. On a team that lacked toughness, Perry was often the one who stepped up against opponents nearly half his age.
Getting all this for just $1.4 million (including bonuses) was an all-time steal. As an indication of how underpaid Perry was in 2024-25, the 40-year-old just signed a one-year contract with the Los Angeles Kings for $2 million with up to another $2 million in performance bonuses.
Perry’s presence will be greatly missed in Edmonton. If there’s one complaint, it’s that Jackson didn’t lock up Perry for longer. But no GM is giving a player of Perry’s age a contract for more than one year. In fact, the signing of Perry last summer was initially met with heavy criticism. But when the dust had settled, it’s hard to imagine Edmonton reaching the Stanley Cup Final without him.
Honourable mention: re-signed Connor Brown to a one-year contract worth $1 million.
The Worst: Re-Signed Adam Henrique to a Two-Year Contract With an Average Annual Value (AAV) of $3 Million
Acquired from the Anaheim Ducks just before the 2024 Trade Deadline, Adam Henrique provided the Oilers with a boost for their run to the Stanley Cup Final last year. So it made absolute sense for the Oilers to bring him back, agreeing to a two-year deal with Henrique on July 1, 2024.
But Henrique, who turned 35 in February, took a significant step back in 2024-25. Age finally seemed to catch up with the veteran forward, who scored 12 goals and chipped in 15 assists for 27 points in 81 games. Henrique’s averages of 0.15 goals and 0.33 points per game were both his lowest in a season since 2010-11. He averaged a near-identical 0.32 points per game in the postseason, when he totalled four goals and three assists for seven points in 22 games.
But what makes Henrique’s contract particularly bad is that it includes a no-trade clause. Henrique was reportedly asked by the Oilers this offseason to waive his clause, but he declined, and understandably so.
As it stands, Henrique seems likely to begin the 2025-26 season centering Edmonton’s fourth line. That’s a spot on the roster that could probably be filled by someone who is younger, cheaper, and quite possibly more productive than Henrique, but the Oilers appear to be stuck with the veteran for now.
Honourable mention: signed Josh Brown to a three-year contract with an AAV of $1 million.
To be Determined: Acquired Forward Matt Savoie From the Buffalo Sabres in Exchange for Forwards Ryan McLeod and Tyler Tullio
This trade could ultimately rank as either the best or the worst move of Jackson’s interim GM tenure. Only time will tell, but this coming season will certainly start to provide an indication.
Starting with using the 40th overall selection in 2018 to draft him, the Oilers invested a lot of time and resources into McLeod. The forward spent three full seasons in Edmonton, from 2021-22 to 2023-24. He never recorded more than 12 goals or 30 points as an Oiler, but there were signs that he had another level to his game.
McLeod found that level with the Buffalo Sabres in 2024-25, establishing new career highs with 20 goals and 53 points, while ranking second on the team with a plus/minus rating of plus-13. Still only 25, McLeod could be far from reaching his ceiling.
Related: Matthew Savoie: Everything to Know About the Oilers’ New Acquisition
Meanwhile, the Oilers really don’t know what they have in Savoie yet. A highly-touted prospect who was drafted ninth overall in 2022, he played his first full season of pro hockey in 2024-25, recording 19 goals and 35 assists in 66 games with the Bakersfield Condors of the American Hockey League (AHL), while notching one assist in four games during a brief call-up with the Oilers.
Everything suggests that the Oilers plan to make Savoie a full-time NHLer in 2025-26, and it appears he’s going to have an incredible opportunity, playing on Leon Draisaitl’s wing to start the season.
Tullio, who Edmonton drafted at No. 126 in 2020, played all last season in the AHL. The 23-year-old forward still could make major strides, but right now projects to be a player who spends most of their career in the minors. Jackson’s trade with the Sabres will likely be judged on the merits of Savoie and McLeod. By this time next year, Oil Country might have a much clearer – and different – perspective of the Jeff Jackson Era.
