from an article by Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times on the GM hunt for the Seattle NHL franchise,

Current Red Wings GM Ken Holland brought three Stanley Cup titles and two decades of consecutive playoff appearances to so-called “Hockeytown’’ and still has a year left on his contract. So, the question now is what will happen once the regular season ends. Detroit isn’t heading to the playoffs, so the Red Wings could let everybody know in a couple of weeks whether Holland will be allowed to continue on his deal.

Firing a man who brought so much to professional hockey in Detroit isn’t as simple as some make it sound, even if the Red Wings are rebuilding and hampered somewhat on the salary cap front by past Holland moves. Loyalty still matters to a degree in pro sports, and others will be watching the Red Wings closely to see how they conduct their business with a highly respected executive.

If Holland is allowed to finish his deal, then what of Yzerman? He makes his home in suburban Detroit and has expressed a desire to remain there with his immediate family.

It’s possible the Red Wings could take him on as a front office adviser — much like he’s now employed by the Lightning after stepping down as GM last September — so that he can inherit Holland’s mantle once the contract runs out.

But it’s also possible Yzerman might not want to wait that long. And if that’s the case, then a man who would leapfrog McCrimmon as the top GM candidate for a majority of the league’s teams would suddenly be available.

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