There hasn’t been a general manager search for the Colorado Avalanche in a long time.
Chris MacFarland left the organization Tuesday to join the division-rival Nashville Predators as president of hockey operations and general manager. He had been the Avs’ GM since 2022, when Joe Sakic was promoted to president of hockey operations and MacFarland was elevated from assistant GM.
MacFarland had been with the organization since 2015. That’s a key bit of information.
This franchise has not hired a GM with no ties to the organization since it arrived in Denver. Pierre Lacroix, hired by the Quebec Nordiques in 1994, was the last. Each of the club’s five GMs since Lacroix was either a current assistant GM or had been one recently.
The Avs said Sakic will re-assume GM duties through the upcoming draft and the start of the new NHL calendar year, according to a statement from KSE vice chairman Josh Kroenke. That means it could be a month or more before the Avs settle on a new GM.
Who are some potential candidates? Here are some very early names to watch:
Internal candidates
Joe Sakic, president of hockey operations
Fans who want Sakic to just be the GM again should not get their hopes up. Sakic was elevated in 2022 in part to keep MacFarland away from other teams who wanted to poach him at the time, but also because the franchise legend wanted to take a step back from the day-to-day grind of being an NHL GM. It’s hard to believe that Sakic will want to step back into that role full-time unless the plan is for him to mentor someone who would be placed in a GM-in-waiting role.
Andrew Cogliano, special assistant to the general manager
Cogliano is young, just two years removed from playing, and a rising star in NHL executive circles. A bet on him being an NHL GM someday is a good one, but is he ready now? A better question might be — is he going to stay in Denver, or will MacFarland bring him to Nashville and promote him to assistant GM with the Predators?
Kevin McDonald, assistant general manager
McDonald has only been with the Avs since 2022, but he’s been an NHL executive for more than three decades. He was an assistant GM in St. Louis when the Blues won the Stanley Cup in 2019. He’s got years of experience running his franchise’s AHL team, but has never had the chance to be an NHL GM.
Arik Parnass, director of analytics
Like Cogliano, he’s young and has never been an assistant GM. But Parnass has also been with the organization since 2016. Two of the GM hires in this cycle came from analytics-friendly backgrounds (Sunny Mehta in New Jersey, John Chayka in Toronto). The Avs are just about as analytics-friendly as any organization in the NHL.
External candidates
Brett Peterson, Florida Panthers assistant general manager
Peterson has been with Florida since 2020, and has helped build the Panthers into one of the NHL’s model franchises. Three straight Stanley Cup Final appearances, with two championships, before injuries derailed any chance of a three-peat this year. One potential issue: The Panthers already lost Mehta. Will they be OK with their front office being gutted, even if it’s for another promotion?
Tyler Dellow, Carolina Hurricanes, assistant general manager
Led by Eric Tulsky, who came from an analytics background, the Hurricanes are four wins from a Stanley Cup. Dellow has now worked for three NHL front offices — Edmonton, New Jersey and Carolina. He is one of the brightest minds in the sport and, like Tulsky, Mehta and Parnass, has carved a successful path in part because of his ability to blend old- and new-school hockey analysis.
Chris Clark, Columbus Blue Jackets, assistant general manager
Clark has been part of the Columbus front office since 2011, working his way up to director of player personnel, GM of the club’s AHL team, and, recently, assistant GM for the Blue Jackets. Does that resume sound familiar? Clark is a former player and NHL captain, so his path is a little different than MacFarland’s, but the Avs and Blue Jackets have been very familiar with each other for a long time now.
Rob Blake, former GM, Los Angeles Kings
Blake would be closer to an internal candidate than the other names above, given his ties to the organization. He was the Kings’ GM from 2017-25. He oversaw the end of a championship era and a rebuild around the franchise’s star center and defenseman. On one hand, Blake’s team built the No. 1-ranked prospect pool while Anze Kopitar and Drew Doughty were still impact NHL players. On the other, the on-ice results fell far short of expectations.
A current NHL player agent
This is the wild card spot. Bill Zito was a longtime agent before turning the Panthers into a powerhouse. Kent Hughes was a longtime agent before taking over the Montreal Canadiens and … they sure look like a burgeoning powerhouse after reaching the Eastern Conference Final this year with a roster loaded with young stars. The last time this franchise hired a longtime agent, Lacroix’s success with the Avs led to a plaque in the Hockey Hall of Fame.
