TALKING POINTS: Holland speaks on Day 1 of NHL Free Agency

EDMONTON, AB - Oilers General Manager & President of Hockey Operations Ken Holland held a media availability from the Hall of Fame Room inside Rogers Place following Day 1 of NHL Free Agency on July 1.

The Oilers executive discussed the free agent market, ongoing negotiations with restricted free agents Evan Bouchard and Ryan McLeod, and coming to terms with three players -- including forwards Connor Brown, Drake Caggiula and Lane Pederson.

Read the full transcript and watch Saturday's full media availability below.

On if the club had any pending free-agent moves waiting to be completed after the conclusion of his press conference:

"Basically, we've agreed to a one-year deal with Connor Brown. We're just working on finalizing the contract. Jay Woodcroft and I talked to Connor earlier today. He's very excited. We're very excited to add him to our team. Obviously, we've got some minor-league signings, but he's a big one."

On what Connor Brown can bring to the Oilers lineup and if he envisions the forward playing in the club's top-six:

"I would think so. He plays 200 feet, he plays hard, and he's got good hockey sense. Obviously, he's coming off a tough injury. I talked to him today. He said he's been skating and once we get to October, it'll be eleven months out from the injury. So, he's very optimistic.

He'll be ready to go for Training Camp and ready to go for the season. I just think he's a good hockey player. He's got hockey sense, he can play 200 feet, he can kill penalties, and he's got a couple of 20-goal seasons. So, I know he's excited and I think he's going to be a great fit for our team."

On the bonus-based nature of Brown's contract and how the focus is on the present for the Oilers in their Stanley Cup window:

"Yeah. I've been here and I've talked to you all [the media]. The cap's gone up $1 million. We had three young players that had a big impact on our team last year -- Stuart Skinner in goal, Evan Bouchard and Ryan McLeod -- and they're due for raises and they're a part of where we're going. They're all 23 years of age, so they're the priority.

"We didn't have a lot of cap space. Obviously, you saw the deal that I made the other day. Klim Kostin, we couldn't afford. He wanted $2 million. Kailer Yamamoto had to get a buyout, so it just chips away at your depth. It's an opportunity for Dylan Holloway and some other young players."

On the possibility maybe of signing a center before the end of the week:

"Ideally, I'd like to get another center. Ideally, yeah. Let's see what next little next time frame brings."

On if there's concern for Brown after the forward missed nearly the entire 2022-23 season with a torn ACL:

"Well, my expectation is it's going to take him a little while to get going. I think we're going to have to be patient with him. I don't think you're going to hit the ice for Game 1 and be the same guy that you were last year. Once he's up and running, I know he's going to have a real impact on our team. I would expect it might take him a little bit to get up and running to full speed."

On what he likes about Drake Caggiula, the former Oiler of three seasons (2016-19) signed to a two-year contract:

"Obviously, he's got experience. He's good depth. We wanted to get some players in the American Hockey League or in our system, and he's played in the National Hockey League.

"I've got to get Bouch signed. I don't know what his cap number is going to be. I've got to get McLeod signed. I don't know what his cap number is going to be. So as I go, I'll sort all that out. Ideally, we'd like to carry 13 forwards, seven defenceman and two goalies depending on those guys. Do we have to carry one less, maybe? Again, I don't know until I put all that together, but Caggiula obviously is a guy that's played in the National Hockey League. The people here know him, know his character, and I know he's excited to re-sign with us. He had a real good year in the American Hockey League last year, so he provides us good depth, but maybe he's on our team."

On finding the balance with Brown on a lower cap hit this season and the potential for bonuses to impact the cap next year:

"I'm doing what you've [media member] wanted me to do for about three years. I'm spending (laughs). We're trying to win now. You've had the heat on me since I came here, so you must love this today. This must be a great day for you. No, [I'm joking].

"At the end of the day, we're trying to win. We're trying to win. Obviously at $775,000, we're adding a top-six forward. You're going to have to pay the price at some point in time. Either we'd have to have more money on the cap this year, or the caps going up next year. I don't know exactly how much, but they're talking five percent, which would mean to about $87.5 million."

"Obviously when you look at the window that we're in right now, what we've accomplished the last two years, the core of our team has signed up. You look at the age of the core of our team and they're in their prime. Certainly as we talked here [about Brown], he's been injured, but in talking to Connor McDavid, I talked to him two or three times since the end of the season about Connor Brown. He's a player that hates to lose. You bringing a guy into that locker room that's got a lot of determination, a lot of passion, hates to lose, and is a driven athlete. I'm sure he's going to drive himself to get up and running as quickly as possible.

"I guess what's the message? The message is we're in it to try and win it. So, because of the injury, we could structure the contract accordingly. At the end of the year, whatever doesn't fit into this year's cap obviously will get pushed onto next year's cap, but we're trying to win."

On if improving defensively this upcoming season will need to come from within:

"First off, I would say to you that from the Trade Deadline when we acquired Mattias Ekhom, I think were top-10 in the league in goals against. So, certainly Ekholm had a big impact on our team. Now, that was only a quarter of the season, so we're going to have Ekholm on our team all year. Next year, I think we're adding a guy in Connor Brown that's a good penalty-killer. Certainly, special teams are always important. We believe our power play is going to be good. We'd probably like to prove a penalty killing a little bit, but really since the Trade Deadline, we've added Ekholm and we're going to add Brown. We've lost some players, obviously. We lost Klim Kostin and we've lost Nick Bjugstad. We've lost Kailer Yamamoto. Obviously, I'm hoping that one or two of the young kids can have an impact on their team. That's really what were [looking for].

"Actually, just now up in the office up there, we were talking about how the cap barely moved $1 million. You look at a lot of these teams and how it's affected the depth of some teams. It's hard to hang on to your depth. There's an opportunity for players to go elsewhere and make more money. You can't blame them."

On Brown's health status and taking a one-year deal with Edmonton despite multi-year offers elsewhere:

"Obviously I don't know exactly because I'm not in Connor's circle and I'm not [agent] Jeff Jackson. I do believe that there was quite a number of teams inquiring about adding him to their team, especially given that you could get him in this year at $775,000 and push the bonuses out.

"Again, I don't know Connor Brown, but I know Connor McDavid. And Connor McDavid knows Connor Brown and Jeff Jackson. the agent for Connor McDavid. So, everything that I'm told, and again, when I talked to Connor Brown today, he said he's skating, he's pushing, he's working hard and feels good, he knows he's got another two-and-a-half good months before we get to Training Camp, so you can't read the future. But all indications are that everything looks good and he's trending to be ready to rock and roll for Training Camp and have a good three weeks of Training Camp, play four or five pre-season games, and hopefully, he's going to have a real positive impact on our team."

On Klim Kostin's impact and signing a fourth-liner with a similar physical dimension this Free Agency:

"Well, right now I'm not sure if we're carrying twelve forwards or thirteen. So, because of the uncertainty of what it's going to take to sign Bouch and McLeod, certainly we'd like a fourth-line center. You're talking toughness, so I don't know that you're able to hit every [category]. I do feel if you've got a really good power play, that's a little bit of toughness or certainly makes the other team think about playing a little bit beyond the lines of the rules. But do I like toughness on the team? Yeah, I've always had toughness on the team. I can't tell you what the team is going to look like in September because there's still some time here, but I'm not sure where we're at. So the answer is yes, I would like toughness, but I don't know if we can go that route or not. I've got to see what transpires in some of these negotiations."

On if he has to sign Bouchard and McLeod before he can look for that fourth-line center:

"Well, we're so tight that I'm not sure how much money I've got to spend. I don't know how long [the contracts] are going to take. So, I'm in an unknown here. I've got to hold some money back for those guys to get them done."

On if a bridge contract is still necessary for Bouchard:

"Yes, it has to be a bridge."

On the potential of bringing Kailer Yamamoto back on a cheap deal following his trade and buyout by the Red Wings:

"I had talked to J.P Barry, his agent earlier today. I think that Kailer wants to explore the market. I've got a finite amount of dollars, which he's familiar with. I said if you're in the finite amount of dollars and he has interest in coming back. I'd love to talk. But certainly, if he gets an opportunity elsewhere at a certain amount of dollars, there's no way we can even match. So J.P. Barry knows where we're at and I think he's out there talking to teams."

On the expectations for Lane Peterson and where Holland sees him fitting in:

"Well, we think he's going to be for sure a number-one centre in the American Hockey League. Maybe he can play in the NHL. Obviously, he played some games last year. Again, he's another guy that provides us depth.

"Let's get to Training Camp. Let's see what he looks like, let's see what Drake Caggiula looks like, and let's see what some of these players look like. And again, I think last year, Iwe signed Mattias Janmark on July 2 or July 3, so you never know what the future is going to bring. But certainly, there's still some unknown. There's two months to Training Camp.