On Friday, the Carolina Hurricanes announced that Don Waddell was stepping down from his role as President and General Manager. Eric Tulsky, who has been with the organization since 2014 and served as an Assistant General Manager since 2021, has been named interim General Manager. The search for a full-time replacement is now underway.
As much as that’s a story in Carolina, the trickle-down effect of what this means for other teams might be the real narrative to watch over the next few weeks.
Now that Waddell has resigned, what does that mean for other teams who might see him as a great option to act as general manager or an even higher role? How does it affect other executives who might have been looking at teams where Waddell could wind up, should he take another NHL job?
The Blue Jackets and Oilers Linked (Indirectly) to Waddell
As reported by Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic earlier this week, the Hurricanes had granted Waddell permission to speak with other teams. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman confirmed that the Columbus Blue Jackets interviewed Waddell on Thursday. They seem eager to bring him in, but reports of his leaving Carolina was not directly linked to him taking the job with the Blue Jackets.
The buzz he’s in line for the Blue Jackets job is certainly out there, but Columbus might have other things cooking too.
Waddell is also being indirectly linked to the Edmonton Oilers and Ken Holland. Holland is also said to be in the mix for the Blue Jackets’ vacant GM position. John Davidson, President of Hockey Operations for the Blue Jackets, has stated that the team has spoken with several candidates, with Waddell and Marc Bergevin being the most prominent. The Oilers are currently in their playoff run, so any conversations with Holland will have to wait, but the buzz has been for some time that Columbus likes Holland too.
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This is Holland’s last crack at a Stanley Cup in Edmonton as his contract is coming to an end. Holland had five seasons to try and win a Cup in Edmonton. He’s done an admirable job as the GM and in a few weeks everyone will know if he was able to lead his roster to a championship, but he’s likely not returning. New management led by Jeff Jackson will go in a different direction.
Is Waddell an Option for the Oilers?
Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff added that while the Blue Jackets currently have the only apparent GM vacancy, rumors persist about Holland leaving for Columbus. Interestingly, Seravalli speculated that Waddell and Holland, who are known to be close, might team up in Columbus, which could make strategic sense for the organization. Jimmy Murphy also seemed to hint at a connection, saying, “Lots of focus on Don Waddell to #CBJ but I’m told to also keep an eye on #LetsGoOilers GM Ken Holland eventually winding up in Columbus.”
It’s not entirely clear if Murphy is suggesting both will work together in Columbus like Seravalli is or if the hint here is that Edmonton will let Holland leave for Columbus and bring in Waddell to take his place. Waddell has a ton of experience and is not afraid to make moves. The Oilers would be an attractive landing spot for any GM candidate, even one who walked away from his current team because he wanted a change. It’s not clear what other GM candidates the Oilers would otherwise be looking at.
All eyes will be on the developments surrounding Waddell and the potential moves by the Blue Jackets and Oilers. The situation remains fluid, and there likely won’t be a solution in May. But, with the NHL Draft right around the corner, there are significant implications for the teams involved in some key decisions with two of the league’s most seasoned executives.
