Elliotte Friedman Names Potential Red Wings GM Job Candidate

Red Wings governor and CEO Chris Ilitch said the franchise is “not where we and our fans expect to be,” and Yzerman will remain in his current role until a successor is named.

However, the search for his replacement has already yielded one notable candidate. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman appeared on "NHL Tonight" on Wednesday, and he identified former Toronto Maple Leafs president Brendan Shanahan as a possible candidate.

“You’re going to hear a lot of names like Brendan Shanahan,” Friedman said. “That is one of the first people I thought of who left Toronto in a better place than he found it. But I think there are going to be a lot.”

Besides floating Shanahan's name, Friedman reported that Detroit will consider both internal and external options.

“They will give their internal candidates the opportunity, but they are also going to go outside,” Friedman said. “They will listen, they will hear what people have to say, and they will zero in on ultimately who the right person or people are and build the structure around that.”

Per ESPN , the Red Wings' process is expected to include multiple internal candidates, including Nicklas Lidstrom (current vice president of hockey operations), Shawn Horcoff (assistant general manager) and Kris Draper (assistant general manager and director of amateur scouting).

“The one thing that I’ve heard is that the Red Wings are going into this with an open mind,” Friedman said. “They will cast a wide net.

“I think this will be a coveted job. I think there will be a ton of interest.”

In the seven seasons under Yzerman, the Red Wings posted a combined 224-251-62 record.