Steve Yzerman's exit left a real vacancy in Detroit, and Jeff Marek just floated four names he thinks could fill it.
Yzerman stunned the hockey world on July 15th, stepping down from the role he'd held since 2019.
He's staying on to run daily hockey operations until a replacement takes over, then shifts into a senior advisor role under Chris Ilitch.
On Daily Faceoff's The Sheet, Marek first had to clean up a story of his own making from last week.
He'd floated whether Detroit would consider former Red Wings goalie Jim Rutherford, and that idea went viral fast.
Marek was clear it was only speculation.
"To my knowledge, there is nothing between the Detroit Red Wings and Rutherford being offered the position," he said.
He still thinks it's worth exploring though.
"I do think it would be in the Detroit Red Wings' best interest to talk to Jim Rutherford, and to talk to as many people as possible," Marek said.
Rutherford talk shot down, but three real names emerge
From there, Marek moved to names he considers real candidates, starting with Dallas Stars assistant GM Scott White.
"I expect Scott White from Dallas to be interviewed. That just makes sense," Marek said. "He's one of those people that you insert into every general manager search."
White has already surfaced in several other GM searches this offseason, and Marek expects that pattern to continue in Detroit.
Next came Tyler Dellow, an assistant GM with the Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes who oversees data analysis and cap compliance.
"Dellow makes a lot of sense," Marek said, pointing to Detroit's stated interest in an analytics driven front office.
Tim Barnes rounded out the list, currently an assistant GM with the Washington Capitals after a decade as the team's director of hockey analytics.
"He would be someone that would be a person of interest for the Detroit Red Wings," Marek said.
Detroit finished 41-31-10 for 92 points last season, 16th overall, a middle of the pack club now searching for its next long term direction.
Marek was careful to frame all three names as informed guesses, not confirmed reporting.
"I am just proposing names based on the criteria that Chris Ilitch has laid before us," he said.
Nothing here suggests Detroit has zeroed in on a favorite yet, and the search is reportedly moving quietly for now.
But between the Rutherford noise and three legitimate front office names, this GM search already has more layers than most.
Source: Insider Proposes 4 Candidates To Replace Steve Yzerman as Red Wings' GM
Should the Red Wings prioritize an analytics-focused GM candidate?
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