The big news of the week was the Brad Treliving firing, which creates an opening in a big market for a general manager (GM). They are the most fascinating GM searches because there are a lot of routes they can take, and whoever takes the job has far beyond the most pressure (which might explain why this job opening wasn’t posted on LinkedIn or Indeed).
Related: BREAKING: Leafs Fire GM Brad Treliving – Hockey HotStove
The Maple Leafs are joining the Nashville Predators as a team searching for a new GM this offseason. Presumably, others will join as well, and with more appealing openings. Some teams are set up for success, and all they need is the right hockey mind in the front office. Others are a mess that will be tough to turn around, like the first potential opening on this list.
New York Rangers
If the New York Rangers move on from Chris Drury, the next hire will have a mess to clean up. This team has an aging core that has rapidly declined, and aside from Igor Shesterkin, there aren’t many building blocks for the team to rebuild. On top of that, the prospect pool is one of the worst in the NHL. The Rangers are a franchise everyone wants to run but right now, they are the team that is toughest to turn around.
Nashville Predators
The good news with the Nashville Predators opening is that it’s not the pressure-packed environment that other teams have. The problem with the Predators is that they are stuck in the murky middle. Their ceiling with this team is making the playoffs, which looks like they will do this season.
The Predators need a rebuild but don’t have the pieces to do it. So, a new GM will come in with the pressure of keeping the team competitive, yet have the reset button and a teardown available as well. A rebuild might be the best route but it will take time, and it’s not the route a new GM will want to take. So this is a tough job to gauge.
Toronto Maple Leafs
The irony is that this is the opposite market of the Predators. The Toronto Maple Leafs have more pressure and taxes but the highs and glory make it most attractive from an outside perspective.
The Maple Leafs are wrapping up a disastrous season. However, a new GM can come in and turn this thing around quickly, especially if they get back a prime Auston Matthews and William Nylander next season (plus, a healthy Chris Tanev and stability in the net). The problem the next GM will encounter is if the team isn’t built to contend, and they have to do the teardown because the prospects and future pieces aren’t there to do that.
New Jersey Devils
There’s a good chance that the New Jersey Devils will look for a new GM, especially with Tom Fitzgerald wearing out his welcome with how he’s run the team. The Devils should have been the next great team, and instead, they are furthest from contention.
That said, the Devils still have some pieces to work with. The core, while flawed, is still great, and with a few trades, the Devils can be back at the top of the Eastern Conference. All it takes is the GM who can get past the no-trade clauses and make the moves to get the Devils back.
Vancouver Canucks
The reason the Vancouver Canucks are a great team for any GM, if they end up moving on from Patrick Allvin (and Jim Rutherford), is that whoever takes over is starting from scratch. The next GM can come in and build this team from the ground up. And thanks to the fire sale at the trade deadline, the Canucks are truly building from the ground up.
The other plus is that the bar is at its lowest right now. The Canucks are at the bottom of the NHL standings and will probably land a top-three or even the top pick in the draft. It’s a good starting point for any GM, and plenty of them will look at this team and all the upside that comes with winning in the Vancouver market (like the Maple Leafs, they are a fanbase starving for success).
Detroit Red Wings
If the Detroit Red Wings miss the playoffs, there will be pressure to make a change. It’s unlikely they will fire Steve Yzerman, yet they can move him up into a president or executive role while adding a GM to run the hockey operations. The Red Wings have the second-longest playoff drought in the NHL, and considering the Buffalo Sabres are heading towards the playoffs, they might have the longest drought in the league. That will prompt changes.
Whoever the new GM might be will have a lot to work with. The Red Wings have a great farm system with prospects on top of prospects. The next GM can flip them to bring in the elite talent Yzerman never acquired.
