Stars Front Office Has Perfect GM Candidate for Kings

The Los Angeles Kings are searching for a new general manager after dismissing Rob Blake from the position. Blake held the role for eight years, guiding the team's resurgence and return to a playoff contender. Now, the team has to take the next step toward becoming a true Stanley Cup contender.

That's why the Kings need a different perspective and voice at the helm. They have plenty of in-house options to consider, like special advisor Marc Bergevin, who has previous GM experience with the Montreal Canadiens. Another candidate is the team's AHL GM, Richard Seeley, who has done a wonderful job with the Ontario Reign. Both are excellent candidates, but the perfect GM is waiting for the Kings to hire them.

That person is Mark Janko, current assistant general manager for the Dallas Stars.

Janko is arguably the best GM in waiting in the NHL. A long-time employee of the Stars, he's become a crucial piece of Jim Nill's front office regime. He's a contractual wizard who the organization credits with signing the team's fleet of stars to team-friendly contract extensions. He's overseen negotiations with players like Esa Lindell, Miro Heiskanen, Roope Hintz, Jake Oettinger, and Jason Robertson.

While his contractual work has earned him considerable praise, he's also an incredible executive. Just look at the Stars' team website, which details just how much he does for the organization.

"Janko oversees all preseason and regular-season scheduling, Collective Bargaining Agreement compliance, cap and budget management, salary arbitration, strategic planning and works closely with Dallas’ scouting staff, with an emphasis on the professional level," the team writes. "Along with Jim Nill, he created and now oversees an analytics department, a mental health division and a sports science branch for the Club. He also serves as the team’s liaison for all player transactions with NHL’s Central Registry."

Does Nill actually do anything for the Stars at this point? From the description, it seems like Janko is the one pulling the strings and doing the legwork that's resulted in the organization's annual Stanley Cup pursuit.

Janko could bring that same skillset and experience to the Kings, and it could be the move that gets them over the hump. Especially as new contracts are due soon for core players like Brandt Clarke and Alex Laferriere, the Kings' Stanley Cup hopes rest on how they manage their salary cap in the coming years. Janko is the perfect candidate to do that, and he's the perfect candidate to take the Kings to the next level as their GM.