The Detroit Red Wings are getting closer to the next chapter at general manager, and the search is starting to take shape. Steve Yzerman is out of hockey operations, though he will remain in the organization, and Elliotte Friedman reported that the team’s next hire will have full autonomy over the franchise. That means the new GM won’t be walking into a shadow situation - this is their show.
Friedman also said the interview process is expected to pick up over the next week, and Detroit is looking for someone with a clear plan for where the club is headed. A few names are already in the mix.
Jeff Greenberg, the general manager of the MLB’s Detroit Tigers, has been mentioned as a candidate, and he already has experience around the Chicago Blackhawks and Chicago Cubs. Internal options like Kris Draper, Shawn Horcoff, and Niklas Lidstrom have also been linked to the job, while Scott White and Ryan Martin could be part of the external group.
Elsewhere in the rumour mill, Zach Werenski’s name is still floating around the Dallas Stars conversation. Earlier this summer, a miscommunication between Werenski and the Columbus Blue Jackets sparked a wave of speculation and even a trade that never got across the finish line. The reported package involved Thomas Harley and Mavrik Bourque, who has since been traded to the Nashville Predators, with Harley as the key piece heading to Columbus.
On The Sheet, Jeff Marek was asked whether the deal was truly dead, and he said he didn’t think it was. Once Werenski used his trade protection to block it, the situation cooled off and there didn’t appear to be any real appetite from the defenseman to leave Columbus at that point.
Still, the door may not be shut. Werenski remains in a spot where he has to decide what he wants his future to look like, and if he goes to management and makes it clear he isn’t staying, Dallas could make a serious push.
The sense is that the vetoed trade was more about Werenski not wanting out of Columbus than it was about him specifically wanting to join the Stars.
There’s also movement brewing overseas, where KHL clubs are circling NHL players who remain unsigned. Artur Khairullin of Sport Express posted that Ak Bars Kazan is looking to add offense and has interest in several names. The players linked to Ak Bars are Evander Kane, Vladimir Tarasenko, and Evgenii Daonov.
Kane just crossed the 1000-game mark, and after a disappointing season with the Vancouver Canucks, the NHL market for him doesn’t appear especially strong right now. His career has also carried plenty of baggage, from teammate feuds to off-ice issues and undisciplined play.
Tarasenko’s case is different. He built his prime as a prolific scorer, but injuries raised questions about how much he had left.
Even so, he had a strong season with the Minnesota Wild in 2025-26. There has been some chatter about a possible return to the Wild, although nothing has been finalized.
Dadonov is in a tougher spot. He managed just one goal in 24 games in 2025-26, and his NHL career may be finished. A move to Ak Bars could offer him a chance to get his game and career back on track.
In Other News...
Blue Jackets Still Can't Escape This Brutal 2005 Draft Miss
The Blue Jackets are still living with one of the franchises most painful draft decisions, a choice from 2005 that looked risky then and has only aged worse over time. With the sixth pick, Columbus took Gilbert Brule while Anze Kopitar, a highly regarded prospect from a non-traditional hockey country, was still on the board, and the decision came down to general manager Doug MacLean despite the scouting staff reportedly leaning the other way.
Brule never came close to matching the impact Kopitar would go on to have over a long and successful NHL career, which is why the debate keeps resurfacing whenever the draft comes up around Columbus. For a team that has spent years trying to build a deeper hockey identity, this is one of those what-if moments that still hangs around the organization and refuses to fade. [Read more 🡒]
Nikishin Contract Tension Is Becoming A Real Hurricanes Problem
Alexander Nikishin has quickly become one of the more intriguing names in the Hurricanes summer conversation, not because of a new deal in place, but because of what happens next. The defenseman remains a restricted free agent, and while he cannot be signed away with an offer sheet, there is clearly enough interest around the league that Carolina has had to listen. GM Eric Tulsky has already acknowledged the trade calls and made it clear the Hurricanes are willing to consider moves that help the roster overall.
For a team trying to manage the balance between present needs and future value, that creates a tricky kind of pressure. Nikishins situation is not simply about keeping a useful player in the fold, it is about deciding whether his name belongs in the long-term plan or in the category of assets that can be used to reshape the roster. The fact that the inquiries keep coming suggests this is not fading anytime soon, and the Hurricanes may have to answer it before the rest of the market does. [Read more 🡒]
Blue Jackets Fans May Barely Remember The Teams Only No. 54s
The No. 54 sweater has been a rare sight in Columbus, worn only by Scott Harrington and Adam McQuaid. For a franchise that has cycled through plenty of defensemen over the years, that number has barely had a history at all, which makes it one of the more obscure entries in Blue Jackets jersey lore.
Harrington spent 185 games in Columbus before his career took him through several teams and leagues, and he is currently signed with the Belleville Senators. McQuaid, meanwhile, was drafted by Columbus but did not actually skate for the club until a brief 2019 stint before an injury brought his career to an end, leaving him with 73 points and a Stanley Cup ring. [Read more 🡒]