Breaking down Sharks’ top possible candidates in general manager search

Breaking down the Sharks’ achievable top GM candidates initially appeared on NBC Athletics Bayarea

The Sharks’ look for for a new basic supervisor might be nearing the complete line.

Equally Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman and TSN’s Pierre LeBrun have documented in the final 7 days that the Sharks should really be down to a few to five candidates for their GM place. Who these finalists are, nevertheless, is even now a mystery.

Here’s what we know so much, based mostly on Friedman, LeBrun, and San Jose Hockey Now’s reporting. LeBrun observed that a dozen candidates experienced preliminary 4- to six-hour interviews. “Very thorough” is how 1 supply described these interviews to SJHN.

Friedman has been the most tapped in in phrases of naming probable candidates, which we’ll get to in a 2nd. SJHN can verify that Ray Whitney was a single of LeBrun’s dozen candidates.

Sharks president Jonathan Becher has beforehand stated that the lookup committee, which contains himself, interim GM Joe Will and proprietor Hasso Plattner, would like to retain the services of the new GM in advance of the starting of totally free company on July 13. That is not a tough deadline however — Becher has also stated that the ideal man or woman is more critical than the suitable timing.

Let’s profile the possible candidates — documented and suspected — and their backgrounds. I also spoke with many sources who have working experience with these prospective candidates. These are the reported candidates, in alphabetical get:

Jason Botterill

Botterill was a first-round choose of the Dallas Stars in the 1994 NHL Draft. The winger played pieces of six seasons in the league, but could in no way stick, notching 14 points in just 88 game titles.

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Botterill has no shortage of hockey ops practical experience, nevertheless, mainly as Pittsburgh Penguins assistant typical manager from 2007-17 and as Buffalo Sabres GM from 2017-20.

Botterill’s stint with Buffalo was tumultuous, however, and the Sabres did not make the playoffs for the duration of his tenure.

That explained, the existing Seattle Kraken assistant GM even now has his supporters in the marketplace.

“Jason is tough doing work, smart and incredibly detailed. Has an extremely substantial hockey expertise of the activity. Superior character human being,” a resource said. “No rationale he should not be a GM in the league suitable now.”

John Ferguson Jr.

Ferguson Jr. is hockey royalty.

John Ferguson Sr. received 5 Stanley Cups with the Montreal Canadiens and adopted that with a 30-12 months occupation as New York Rangers head mentor, Winnipeg Jets GM and Sharks scout, among other roles.

Ferguson Jr. did not have his father’s taking part in occupation, but he’s nearing 30 yrs in NHL administration. Most famously, he was the Toronto Maple Leafs GM from 2003-08, making the playoffs just at the time. He also was Sharks director of specialist scouting from 2008-14.

“Checks all the containers for me,” a source indicated. “Very clever. Personable. Effectively-appreciated by all people. Consider he’d be a great employ the service of.”

That mentioned, a couple of sources have observed that Ferguson Jr. may not embrace the a lot more community-struggling with aspect of the Sharks GM occupation. Becher has mentioned that as an critical element of the job, to be portion of offering the sport to the Bay Area.

Mike Grier

Grier played about 1,060 common year video games, including some in 2006-09 with the Sharks. Since 2014, he’s been a Chicago Blackhawks scout, a New Jersey Devils assistant mentor, and is at the moment a Hockey Operations Coordinator with the New York Rangers.

“He’s an very sharp male as far as hockey information,” Alain Nasreddine instructed NHL.com.

Ryan Martin

Martin in no way performed skillfully but is as experienced as they appear.

Considering the fact that 2005, Martin has been Director of Hockey Administration or AGM for the Detroit Purple Wings or the Rangers. He’s New York’s AGM suitable now.

Martin has a huge vary of practical experience and is versed in qualified and novice scouting, contract negotiations and wage cap management, between other parts.

“He has an outstanding rep,” a resource instructed SJHN. “Good guy, up front.”

Allain Roy

Roy won a silver medal as a goaltender for the 1994 Canadian Olympic hockey workforce. He was drafted in the fourth round in the 1989 NHL Draft by the Winnipeg Jets, but under no circumstances appeared in a recreation.

Considering that then, Roy has carved out a thriving vocation as a participant agent, representing Nico Hischier, Philipp Grubauer and Jeffrey Viel, between many other people.

1 resource was effusive in his praise of Roy: “He’s a grasp communicator.

“He’s a potent evaluator of talent. He is had a large amount of middle and reduce-course gamers in the NHL due to the fact they considered in him as an agent. He did not put the massive fish forward of them.

“I feel long run, that paid off for him. Because he crafted a loyal foundation of gamers who recognized that he had their finest interest in head. It was not usually about obtaining the leading greenback. It was about the most effective in good shape in just about every way. Sensible gamers recognize that.

“I know Allain has an exceptional reputation amongst GMs. I’ve experienced these discussions with them.”

This resource thinks that Roy would severely consider leaving his agency to be a GM.

Kevin Weekes

Kevin Weekes was in between the pipes for 348 NHL game titles with the Florida Panthers, Vancouver Canucks, New York Islanders, Tampa Bay Lightning, Carolina Hurricanes, New York Rangers and New Jersey Devils.

Due to the fact he retired in 2009, Weekes has been an analyst for NHL Community and Hockey Evening in Canada. He’s now with the NHL on ESPN and has emerged as just one of the top breaking news insiders in current many years.

Early in the Sharks GM look for, a source explained to San Jose Hockey Now that he thought Weekes was a favorite for the reason that of his charisma, intelligence and unparalleled network in and close to the video game.

That talk has cooled, and we’ve also received a lot of pushback from sources who think that Weekes is making an attempt to leapfrog other GM candidates who have participated more in the hockey ops grind, candidates who have started out as scouts and worked their way up.

That stated, there is precedent for a media persona to move directly into higher management. In 2006, John Davidson, after contacting Rangers video games for pretty much 20 several years, was named president of the St. Louis Blues. Davidson hasn’t left the front office environment due to the fact, also major the Rangers and Blue Jackets.

The GM career isn’t for the individual with the most hockey ops working experience, immediately after all. It is for the ideal probable GM, irrespective of background.

Ray Whitney

Whitney was the Sharks’ 2nd-at any time draft choose, picked in the next spherical of the 1991 NHL Draft just after Pat Falloon. Whitney performed for the Sharks from 1991-97 and enjoyed a 22-year vocation with eight NHL teams, putting up 1,064 points.

Just after retiring in 2014, Whitney scouted for the Carolina Hurricanes from 2015-18. He’s now with the NHL’s Division of Participant Protection.

“He’s just a good hockey man,” a resource told SJHN. “I like him. Down-to-earth.”

I have listened to anything equivalent from a further resource.

Whitney has limited hockey ops expertise, but he’s viewed as a bright hockey brain and is quite effectively spoken. He’s absolutely an up-and-comer.

These are San Jose Hockey Now’s suspected GM candidates:

Meghan Chayka

Chayka co-founded Stathletes, a hockey analytics organization, in 2010. Stathletes has emerged as one of the leaders in the area, furnishing facts to lots of NHL teams.

“I really do not want to be the GM,” Chayka advised The Hockey News in 2019. “I want to possess the team. I want to be my manager. I want to build a billion-dollar organization and possess the group.”

Irrespective, Chayka is as great a prospect as there is to turn into the to start with lady GM in the NHL.

THN wrote this 12 months: “With NHL groups and Earth tournaments using Chayka’s technologies, and the at any time evolving globe of sports pushing for new ideas, it is only a make any difference of time prior to an NHL club considers Chayka.”

Mathieu Darche

Darche was an undrafted totally free agent who played 250 NHL online games for Columbus, San Jose, Tampa Bay, the Nashville Predators and the Montreal Canadiens.

Darche retired in 2012, likely to do the job for both equally Delmar International, a Canadian customs broker, and as a Tv analyst for RDS. He joined the Lightning as Director of Hockey Functions in 2019 and is a again-to-back again defending champion.

“He’s a quite fantastic prospect. I was impressed by his perseverance in his enjoying profession. He’s collected a great deal of excellent practical experience and is aware of how to earn as a player and a supervisor,” a resource instructed San Jose Hockey Now.

Mike Gillis

Gillis was the 1st-round decide on of the Colorado Rockies in the 1978 NHL Draft, enjoying 246 online games with the Rockies and the Boston Bruins.

Gillis turned a successful player agent ahead of using in excess of the Vancouver Canucks in 2008. In 5 of Gillis’s 6 seasons as GM, the Canucks manufactured the playoffs, highlighted by a trip to the 2011 Stanley Cup Final.

“He’s extremely arranged and has a lot of expertise in developing teams,” a resource shared.

Yet another source pointed out, even so, that he was unimpressed by Gillis’s recently leaked presentation to the Pittsburgh Penguins, contacting it vacant fluff.

Linked: Assessing Bonino’s year as Sharks’ 3rd-line heart

Chris MacFarland

Like Martin, MacFarland never ever played hockey professionally, but the Colorado Avalanche AGM has as substantially expertise as any prospect. Since 2000, he’s been a Director of Hockey Functions or AGM for Colorado and the Columbus Blue Jackets.

He is also versed in expert and amateur scouting, contract negotiations and income cap management, between other spots.

One source considers MacFarland the brains guiding the Colorado’s increase to power.

Another source believes MacFarland would make an excellent GM, not just due to the fact of his huge variety of techniques, but in significant section since of his function ethic and open intellect, seeing him as excellent mix of grinding in the league for a very long time but having no scarcity of fresh new suggestions and progressive views.

Eric Tulsky

Eric Tulsky was doing investigation in nanotechnology and dabbling in hockey analytics on the facet for Wide Avenue Hockey and other weblogs when the Carolina Hurricanes hired him as a Hockey Analyst in 2014. Tulsky rose to Hurricanes AGM in 2020.

“Eric is good,” a source told SJHN. “He’s a person of the smartest individuals I know, if not the smartest.”