Would Daniel Alfredsson make a good GM?
That’s the question posed by Sports Illustrated’s Michael Farber, who discusses the possiblity of a European NHL general manager somewhere down the line.
That’s the question posed by Sports Illustrated’s Michael Farber, who discusses the possiblity of a European NHL general manager somewhere down the line. Farber writes:
“Alfredsson is conspicuously smart. He has worked with the NHLPA. He knows the inside of a boardroom. He attended the World Hockey Summit in Toronto last summer. Unlike most Swedish players, he plans to live in Canada after retirement and has expressed interest in taking a leadership role in the game. If he gets the kind of training that Tampa Bay GM Steve Yzerman received in Detroit after he retired from the Red Wings, Alfredsson could end up running a team. Maybe he won’t fast track like Yzerman — a little more of the Swede in him might have to erode to the point where he is viewed as a certifiable North American (with a slight accent) — but certainly he would be a prize catch for any organization in the erstwhile National House League.” Read the entire article here.
Interesting take, though I don’t know if Alfredsson would be on board. If I remember correctly, Alfredsson was asked last season whether or not he’d consider coaching one day. His answer was something along the lines of “too much work.” You know owner Eugene Melnyk would love to keep him in the fold in some capacity after his playing days are done, however.
A tad ironic that you’re posting this while the Senators are in St. Louis, a team that used to have former Senator Jarkko Kekalainen as their Asst. GM. Many expected him to become a prominent European GM, but he went back to Europe to be a GM there.
Not right away, let him earn it.
Let him spend 3-5 years as an assistant GM learning the ropes, or even as a scout and then afterwards maybe give him a chance.
The Senators could also look the other way completely and cut ties to the core that underachieved so much and look externally for its management.
I don’t know if Alfredsson would ever pick Canadians or North Americans, he seems to have a real soft spot for soft Swedes like Karlsson, Rundblad, etc…you need those hard-nosed, hard-playing Canadians as well as excellent two-way Euros to get the mix right.