Screencap: NHL.com
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Freidman wrote in his weekly 31 Thoughts column on Sunday that Washington Capitals’ assistant GM Ross Mahoney had three interviews with the New Jersey Devils before they took the interim tag off of GM Tom Fitzgerald on July 8.
The Devils fired GM Ray Shero on January 12.
“I’m not sure about his status [with the] Arizona [Coyotes]/Florida [Panthers] scenarios, but Washington assistant GM Ross Mahoney had three interviews with New Jersey before the Devils stayed with Tom Fitzgerald,” Freidman said.
Former Coyotes’ GM John Chayka quit on July 26 and the team gave assistant Steve Sullivan the interim tag after Chayka’s resignation.
The Florida Panthers did not renew ex-GM Dale Tallon’s contract after they failed to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the fourth straight year. Mahoney has been rumored to be a candidate.
In 2016, Vegas Golden Knights’ general manager George McPhee asked permission from his former employer the Washington Capitals to interview Mahoney. Depending on who you talk to, it was either rejected or delayed to the point opportunities were filled. Whatever the case, it led to conjecture that Mahoney could be a potential successor to current GM Brian MacLellan.
Mahoney has been the Capitals’ assistant GM for the past five seasons and was the team’s director of amateur scouting for the previous 16.
By Harrison Brown
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I actually wouldn’t mind if he left. A lot of his drafts have been meh and I think a different set of eyes, while like anything, a risk, could be good for the prospects coming into the organization. For instance, Brett Leason looks like a big bust. Caps could have had a youngster with upside instead which is so important for an aging Caps team.
I would bring in someone from teams like Boston, Rangers, Carolina…they seem to draft starters for their teams all the time.
I’m not completely disagreeing with your reasoning here. You make a good case. However, I will add the Mahoney was the one who insisted on Fehervary and that looks like a pretty good pick.
blind squirrel maybe?…lol
I just think he’s been here a long time and with a new coaching regime coming in they could get someone fresh and someone to handle the eventual rebuild. Just new blood if you will…