Gone Puck Wild
Fansided

Who will be the Wild’s next general manager?

By Brennen Rupp

DALLAS, TX - JUNE 22: NHL Network analyst Brian Lawton looks on during the first round of the 2018 NHL Draft at American Airlines Center on June 22, 2018 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Brian Babineau/NHLI via Getty Images)
DALLAS, TX - JUNE 22: NHL Network analyst Brian Lawton looks on during the first round of the 2018 NHL Draft at American Airlines Center on June 22, 2018 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Brian Babineau/NHLI via Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

The Minnesota Wild are in the midst of their search for the team’s fourth general manager in team history. Paul Fenton lasted 14 months as the general manager and the Wild brass need to get this next hire right.

The Wild are about to enter year eight of the Zach Parise and Ryan Suter era and need to decide if they are going to press on and try to reach the postseason or continue to tear it down and go into a full rebuild.

Parise and Suter signed with the Wild on that hot 4th of July day with aspirations of bringing the Stanley Cup to the State of Hockey. When Fenton was still calling the shots he signed Mats Zuccarello and Ryan Hartman. Those signings led one to believe that they will be pushing to get back to the postseason.

The Wild are casting a wide net with their search and here are the top potential candidates to sit in the general manager’s chair for the Wild.

Brian Lawton: Lawton is currently working for NHL Network as an analyst. He currently resides in the State of Hockey and was drafted 1st overall in the 1983 NHL draft by the Minnesota North Stars and played for them for five years. After his playing career he spent time as an agent and one the players he represented was Mike Modano, who is now a key member of the Wild front office. Lawton was the general manager of the Tampa Bay Lightning from 2008-2010.

Tom Fitzgerald: Fitzgerald is the current assistant general manager for the New Jersey Devils and after the offseason they’ve had it’s no surprise that he’s a hot commodity. Fitzgerald was a member of the Nashville Predators, when Craig Leipold, the owner of the Minnesota Wild purchased the Predators in the late 1990’s.

Bill Guerin: The assistant general manager for the Pittsburgh Penguins was the fifth overall pick by the New Jersey Devils in the 1989 draft. According to the Athletic’s, Michael Russo, Guerin interviewed for the job this past Monday. Guerin and Modano were teammates with the Dallas Stars for four years.

This is a big month for the Wild. They have to get this hire right. They can’t afford to miss on this hire, like they did with Fenton. Doug Risebrough was the team’s first general manager lasted from 1999-2009. Chuck Fletcher lasted from 2009 to 2018. Fenton made it 14 months. Leipold and his staff need to find the right fit to help try and bring the Stanley Cup to the State of Hockey before the Parise and Suter era ends, while building a foundation for the future.

Home/Analysis