It’s been an interesting last 24 hours for Los Angeles Kings general manager Ken Holland. He pulled out a trade to take with him Artemi Panarin in the organization. By most accounts it was of great value. That said, he has also received a lot of criticism from Edmonton fans for not making these types of deals while managing the Oilers and for waiting until he got to LA to make better trades and signings than the ones he did.
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Since the trade was announced, Oilers fans have gone out of their way to point out the price Holland paid for Panarin. Many have pointed to previous trades from his tenure in Edmonton. They highlighted situations where he paid significantly more and got much less in return. To be fair, not all of these players had Edmonton as their preferred destination. This meant that the Netherlands had to outbid other teams to get deals done.
Yet that has not stopped the criticism.
The Netherlands under fire in Edmonton
As mentioned above, Holland is in the spotlight because the acquisition cost for Panarin seems incredibly low compared to some of the deals he made when he tried and failed to bring a Stanley Cup to Edmonton.
Edmonton fans have since taken to social media to express their frustration, especially with the lack of urgency to land a true star like Panarin when Holland had Connor McDavid in his prime. Some of the the responses were bluntto say the least:
Ken Holland if he has prime McDavid: hmm yes Andreas Athanasiou for 2 2nd. Ken Holland when Kopitar and Doughty are hours away from rigor mortis.
– Infamous TIG via X
We had to spend a first on Adam Henrique and Sam Carrick, and a second to get Duncan Keith’s full contract in a flat cap world, but now Ken decides to do the smart thing and take advantage of NYR and then give Panarin a low term, hahaha dude, fuck you.
– Shaedon via X
I hate Ken Holland so much**Why couldn’t he do something like that when he was in Edmonton???
– Ryan Nutzberger via X
It’s pretty clear that Oilers fans are angry, and honestly, they have a right to be. There is a feeling that Holland didn’t push hard enough when he led the organization. Still, he turned around and made a smart, aggressive move with the Kings, similar to how he operated during his time with the Detroit Red Wings.
This is something fans in Edmonton won’t soon forget. And if the Oilers and Kings meet again in the playoffs, don’t be surprised if Holland and Panarin hear about it. Especially when Panarin is having a hard time.
One thing’s for sure: the Oilers-Kings rivalry just might have gotten better.
Next: NHL Trade Ranges: Rangers trade Panarin to the Kings
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