Sportsnet: Elliotte Friedman and Jeff Marek on the 32 Thoughts: The Podcast – Michael Andlauer Doesn’t Hold Back. on the Ottawa Senators and their now vacant GM position, and who could be a candidate for the position.
** NHLRumors.com transcription
Marek: ” So the question then becomes, who is next? We know this is a plum position. This is a team that is primed and ready to win for a long time. A very desired General Manager position, with as we’ve seen a very passionate hockey owner. Who goes in?
Friedman: “Well, it’s a great question. First of all, I don’t think Ottawa was planning for this. Like people were like, well, Dorian won’t last and maybe that was going to be true, but it wasn’t going to be now.
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You know, until this dark cloud came over the horizon. He was gonna finish out the year at least, I think. So when they made the change this week, I don’t think they have a list.
I know there’s people they’re interested in. But I don’t think they have a setlist and the other thing right now is, I’m just not convinced that a lot of teams are going to let good candidates go during the season. It’s rare. It can happen, but it’s rare.
So I think in the short term, it will be Steve Staios. Ryan Bowness, who will be a general manager someday, whether it’s in Ottawa or somewhere else. And if Staios wants to bring someone else in who’s got a bit of experience, I could see him being allowed to do that just help them. But I think it’ll be his choice.
But the question is going to be, are they going to be able to get people during the season? Like, you know, Peter Chiarelli’s name has been out there. You know, Mathieu Darche, his name has been out there and Darche was interviewed in Montreal when Andlauer was still there. He was part of those interviews. Someone else reminded me today that Darche was the captain of Hamilton in the American Hockey League when Andlauer owned that team. So there’s another connection between the two of them. And Julian BriseBois was in charge of the Hamilton team at that time, who’s now Darche’s boss and in Tampa.
So there’s, you know, there’s a lot of connections there and I think you’re going to hear his name a lot, but it helps them to look around like, you know, as I wrote with the lure of bringing Jason Spezza to Ottawa. Spezza is going to be a GM in this league someday. I think the question is, when does he want to do it and is it okay for his family? But he’s going to be a GM in this league someday if he wants to be.
But again, like I had someone who said to me, like a person like John Ferguson would be very good because he’s been a manager before. Just get in that organization and help them out.
But as you said, Jeff, there’s going to be a ton of people who want this job, a ton. They’re going to have a really good opportunity to pick from the candidate pool. I think the question is when because they weren’t expecting to do this, now.
Marek: “Let me throw a wild card out at you.
Friedman: “Okay.”
Marek: “This is just you and me just shooting the breeze about the Ottawa Senators General Manager position.
Friedman: “Okay, I know you’ve talked to someone about this, so I can’t wait to see which name you’re going to throw out.”
Marek: ” I may or may not have.”
Friedman: “You did.”
Marek: “The last time Michael Andlauer was part of a general manager search, they settled on an agent, Kent Hughes.
Friedman: “I don’t think it was settled. I think he was the favorite all the way through. I don’t want to Kent Hughes calling you and saying Jeff, you think anyone really settled on me? He’s going to be..”
Marek: “They decided okay.
Friedman: “He’s gonna come bearing at you like the puck is loose in the corner.”
Marek: “They decided that Ken Hughes was the best candidate with all due respect for Daniel Briere, Mathieu Darche.”
Friedman: “My new nickname for Kent Hughes is the settle Kent Hughes?”
Marek: “Okay. What do you think of another agent going in there?”
Friedman: “Which agent are you talking about?
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Marek: “Oh, I don’t know someone maybe French Canadian who has a long client list. We’ve heard Pat Brisson’s name out there before. I’ve always wondered about Brisson the GM position.
Friedman: “I don’t see it. I just think that if he wanted to be a GM would have happened a long time ago.”
