Red Wings front office rumors from CBC

[Hockeytown0001 7,652]

There's discussion on CBC right now that Vancouver might ask Detroit for permission to engage Jim Nill in discussions for the open position at General Manager for the Canucks. Also it was mentioned that Stevie is going to want to be a general manager soon, and that he should go to Ottawa.

Thoughts?

[Aki 0]

noooooooo!

[cirov19 1]

I don't think Steve would want to go to Ottawa... I would be surprised if he went anywhere.

I guess I just always assumed his heart is and forever will be with Detroit.

Edited April 20, 2008 by cirov19

[vangvace 12]

Bye Nill

Promote Yzerman

[jim3033 1]

There's discussion on CBC right now that Vancouver might ask Detroit for permission to engage Jim Nill in discussions for the open position at General Manager for the Canucks. Also it was mentioned that Stevie is going to want to be a general manager soon, and that he should go to Ottawa.

Thoughts?

Hockey Night In Canada has been doing this all year. You can't take those guys too seriously. They're biased towards their Canadian teams and try to help them out.

Edited April 20, 2008 by jim3033

[Doggy 130]

Jim Nill will do great wherever he does go. He deserves the position at a good hockey club.

[Konnan511 1,736]

As much as the Wings have benifited from Nill, I think it's time for him personally to get that big promotion. Jim has been the one guy that has NEVER complained about anything and has been overlooked by the casual Wing's fan. He deserves a big move. But on that note, i don't want him to leave lol, he has been way too good for us.

[Third Man In 2,091]

Jim Nill will do great wherever he does go. He deserves the position at a good hockey club.

Agreed. Which excludes Vancouver.

[Zion 93]

^ Beat me to it.

[Lou_Siffer 1]

Agreed. Which excludes Vancouver.

So you're saying the chance of Nill going to Vancouver actually is nil? Got it.

[nkuehnl 0]

I like Holland and all but I would rather he leave for Vancouver than Nill.

[Matt 1,048]

FYI: Nill gets paid on par with what some other NHL team GMs get. He's highly, HIGHLY unlikely to go anywhere.

[toby91_ca 620]

I doubt there is anything to the Yzerman to Ottawa rumour, seeing as Murray is their GM at least for another year. I wonder what kind of ties Yzerman has to Ottawa these days though. I mean, he did grow up there.

[Statts 4]

So you're saying the chance of Nill going to Vancouver actually is nil? Got it.

the king of puns strikes again! Well done sir!!!

[VM1138 1,921]

Nill has been amazing for the Wings. But I agree with some posters: I don't think it's fair to keep him where he is. He's been way too good and he DESERVES to move up. I don't want him to leave, but he deserves to.

[RedFX 48]

Yzerman is not leaving Detroit.

[detroitdan 0]

I agree, it would be unfortunate to lose Nill, but he's the type of guy that should have a chance to run his own show, and that seems very unlikely in Detroit.

As for Stevie: I understand where they are coming from. Yzerman is starting to build a good reputation, with last year's World Championship team and hopefully this year's team. If a guy like Brett Hull is a GM, you have to figure Stevie is going to be an even better one. I might get flamed for this and that's fine, but maybe somewhere like Toronto, Ottawa, or Vancouver would be good for him. Let's face it, his opportunity isn't likely to come in Detroit any time soon. He's like Nill. He deserves a chance to run his own show eventually, and unfortunately, Detroit just may not be that place to do it. It sucks to think about him being a part of an organization, but I don't begrudge him wanting to give it a try, especially if Holland is going to be in Detroit long-term. I live and breathe the Red Wings, but if I had a chance to work for another NHL team, you'd better believe I'd do it in a split second.

[Yzermania19 1]

The Hotstove folks said Holland has two years left on his contract with the Wings, at which time the Wings might have to decide between re-signing Holland or letting him go someplace else and promoting Stevie. They said Stevie kind of went into this VP thing not quite sure of which direction he wanted his post-player career to go but now that he's been studying at the feet of one of the game's greatest GM's in Holland for two years - not to mention that he's been in that position with Team Canada for two years now and all indications are he is enjoying it immensely - he's been leaning even more toward a GM position.

All indications are, for the time being, that Stevie will stay in Detroit - he has said as much on numerous occasions - but who knows what the future brings? If the Wings sign Holland again and Stevie gets kind of antsy to manage a team he may seek out opportunities elsewhere. I think the Ilitches will do what they can to keep him here but if there are no opportunities for him, could you blame him for going somewhere else?

As for the Ottawa comments, when Strachan (I believe) brought up Stevie becoming the Senator's GM one of the others pointed out that Bryan Murray's the GM in Ottawa, to which Strachan replied, "Yeah, but I want to see Murray coach. I like him better as a coach." Instantly discredited!!!! It's just what Strachan would like to see happen!

And I think Stevie's parents and in-laws still live in Ottawa. He's got three brothers and a sister - one brother is a hockey writer for the Canadian Press and covers the Ottawa Senators so he probably lives in the area but I've heard his sister lives in North Carolina, I think. One of the Carolinas, anyway. I don't know about the other two brothers. I'm sure he has friends back there, too. But regardless it seems like he still has some ties to the area.

[Third Man In 2,091]

Ottawa missed its chance on Yzerman in 1995. That ship has sailed.

[irishtemper14+25 11]

wont happen

[ChitownWingsfan 54]

Stevie isn't leaving Detroit, especially for Ottawa of all places.

Nill, well, he's gotta do what you gotta do but I doubt he'll leave unless there is some serious money being thrown around, which there won't be.

[norrisnick 1]

Unless things have changed, Nill doesn't want to go anywhere else. He's commented numerous times that he likes his role here with the Wings. It's GMing by committee. Kenny holds the tiebreaker if it comes down to it, but he and Nill have a very good partnership that works because both sides are good and enjoy what they do. Nill runs the draft and player development and Kenny deals primarily with the NHL roster changes. Bowman advises and Stevie is learning from everyone.

There is no reason any of them have to go anywhere. And I doubt any of them want to go anywhere. Bowman flirted with the Leafs but his terms were never going to happen (ie full control over everything) so no point and he can continue to enjoy his very lucrative semi-retirement.

[Yzermania19 1]

I still think at some point Devellano is going to retire, Nill will move on and everyone will move up a step, essentially opening the door for Stevie to be the GM.

One reason I think Nill will leave is that he has to kind of realize the ultimate objective is to have Stevie be the GM, unless Nill is totally content with his assistant GM position. The Wings may want to keep Nill as AGM because he is the head of amateur scouting and draft selections, and we all know how good the Wings are at that!

[HenryMalredo 2]

I still think at some point Devellano is going to retire, Nill will move on and everyone will move up a step, essentially opening the door for Stevie to be the GM.

One reason I think Nill will leave is that he has to kind of realize the ultimate objective is to have Stevie be the GM, unless Nill is totally content with his assistant GM position. The Wings may want to keep Nill as AGM because he is the head of amateur scouting and draft selections, and we all know how good the Wings are at that!

Illitch is a succesful businessman. He's not gonna let a top-notch guy go just to improve Yzerman's chances of getting the job.

[KnightFire420 0]

I wouldn't put any stock into what CBC says or anything that comes out of Toronto for that matter. I live there and I can tell you from listening to most of these guys talk on the FAN590 that most of what comes out of there mouths are only about 50% correct.

Alot of what they were saying is speculation and the team will NEVER give any team permission to talk to Nill, Yzerman, or Holland while they are under contract. I remember just before Yzerman's last year a lot of these guys were saying that it was 90% done that Yzerman was going to retire a Senator even though on a Detroit sports show a day earlier Yzerman said what we all knew that he was going to finish a Wing.

I could go on and on with rumours and stories that those three guys have told that have never come true but I'm tired and well I don't really want to. Remember that for some reason CBC has a real hate on for the Wings, well actually all the hockey media outside of Detroit apparently does so I wouldn't give stock in what anyone says about the Wings without solid proof.

Edited April 20, 2008 by KnightFire420