Oilers Nearly Had Devils Assistant GM

According to one NHL insider, the Edmonton Oilers nearly hired a surprising candidate as their new general manager.

Jun 28, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Anton Silayev is selected by the New Jersey Devils with the 10th overall pick in the first round of the 2024 NHL Draft at The Sphere. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports / Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports

The Edmonton Oilers made a bold move this offseason by hiring Stan Bowman as their new general manager. After parting ways with previous GM Ken Holland, the team chose another former Stanley Cup champion at the helm. The move has received some negative pushback, but the Oilers are pressing forward with their new management group.

According to NHL insider Elliotte Friedman however, there was another surprise name in the final running for the GM position. Friedman put out a summer episode of his podcast 32 Thoughts and discussed a variety of hot topics around the league. He touched on the Oilers' new GM and revealed that there was another candidate who made it farther than many are aware: Dan Mackinnon, assistant general manager of the New Jersey Devils.

“I heard one of the people who went really far in that process is Dan Mackinnon, who is the assistant GM in New Jersey," he said. "I heard that he was one of the finalists for the job. We’re always wondering about new names, new contenders out there. That’s a name I was very intrigued about. I heard he went pretty far down the process.”

Mackinnon has been a valuable piece of the Devils' front office since joining the organization in 2019. In addition to serving as an assistant general manager under current GM Tom Fitzgerald, he also holds two other positions. He is listed on the team's directory as a senior vice president of hockey operations and as the general manager of the team's AHL affiliate, the Utica Comets.

Mackinnon's name has been becoming more common and regarded around the NHL. He interviewed with the Pittsburgh Penguins last year during their general manager search, and was reportedly one of the finalists for the job as well. His reputation is growing even more with how far he went in the Oilers' job search, and it seems like it's only a matter of time before Mackinnon is a general manager of his own NHL franchise.

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