The New Jersey Devils front office has been getting a lot of buzz around the league. Most of the executives working under Tom Fitzgerald have experienced high praise for their roles in building this roster. The Devils have spent time and assets building the likes of Kate Madigan, Martin Brodeur, Meghan Duggan, Tyler Dellow, Matt Cane, Mark Dennehy, and others. However, Fitzgerald's closest ally always appears to be Assistant General Manager Dan MacKinnon.
We learned on Wednesday that others in the league feel the same about MacKinnon. Elliotte Friedman with Sportsnet said on the return of the 32 Thoughts Podcast (sans Jeff Marek) that MacKinnon went deep in the process for the Edmonton Oilers GM opening. He didn't elaborate too much further, but he did call MacKinnon a "surprise" name in the process.
Of course, that job went to former Chicago Blackhawks GM Stan Bowman. His hiring caused an uproar across the league, as he played a role in the abuse against former Hawks player Kyle Beach during the 2010 Stanley Cup run. The NHL announced that Blackhawks management involved in that process could return to hockey this year.
New Jersey Devils assistant GM Dan MacKinnon almost beat out Stan Bowman for Edmonton Oilers GM job.
We expect to see MacKinnon receive more opportunities like this. Remember, when Ray Shero was the GM, we saw similar interest in Tom Fitzgerald. The Devils built the team through a comprehensive front office, and teams will eventually use that experience to bring in their own team. It also might be why the Devils hired Chuck Fletcher to give the Devils a quick replacement if MacKinnon were to leave. There's no confirmation to that, but just a thought.
For now, MacKinnon remains in his position, and he will do a great job building the Devils and the Utica Comets.
We could see half a dozen Devils front office members leave for better positions in other organizations, and it shouldn't be seen as a negative. The Devils have provided a blueprint to the league, but as long as it leads to their own success, we wish success for everyone in the organization.