From TSN:
“The Minnesota Wild are building a list of candidates to replace fired general manager Doug Risebrough. Sources tell TSN the Wild have contacted the Toronto Maple Leafs seeking permission to speak with Dave Nonis, the Leafs‘ senior vice president of hockey operations.”
Dreger reports that the Leafs have flat out declined, but under the terms of Nonis’s contract with the Leafs he has an out clause that doesn’t kick in until the summer of 2010. How about that? Less than 6 months after cobbling together a competent group of hockey executives at the top, they’re already starting to be targeted by poachers.
I’m also a bit surprised that Risebrough was let go in Minnesota, but things started going south this season and they missed the playoffs, so heads had to roll. Maybe a bit harsh for a GM who had just taken his team to its first division title just last year.
But regardless, Doug should land back on his feet very soon. Much of his resume is composed of a fantastic draft record that has yielded the likes of Marian Gaborik, Nick Schultz, Mikko Koivu, Derek Boogard, Pierre Marc Bouchard, Josh Harding, Brent Burns, Patrick O’Sullivan, James Sheppard, Cal Clutterbuck, Colton Gillies and Tyler Cuma. Quite the impressive haul. He’s a very-well respected man in hockey circles and was speculated to be one of the top 5 candidates for the vacant Toronto GM post this past summer. As an Ontario kid, rumors were rampant that he would’ve loved to have the opportunity to grab the reins in a more hockey crazed market, but as we all know the Leafs went with Brian Burke.
Though I’m sure Doug would love nothing more than to get a top front office position with the Maple Leafs, it’s unlikely that Burke would want to bring in another cook into an already overcrowded kitchen. It should be interesting to see how Nonis takes denial, as it’s reasonable to assume he’d jump at the chance to get back in the GM’s chair and take over exciting young team.
Always a pleasure,
Alex Tran
