Red Wings vice president of hockey operations Nicklas Lidstrom says the question of who will run the team on a permanent basis sits with ownership, and that his own responsibilities in Europe are about to grow.
Speaking with Swedish outlet Expressen, Lidstrom said he does not know whether interim general manager Shawn Horcoff will be given the job full time, calling it “an ownership question right now.” He said he expects Horcoff to be among the candidates. Those are Lidstrom’s views; the Red Wings have not announced a timeline or a list of candidates for the permanent job.
A shuffled front office, a steady European staff
Detroit’s hockey operations department has been reshaped since Steve Yzerman’s departure as general manager. According to Detroit Hockey Now, Kris Draper has moved from leading amateur scouting to heading the pro scouting staff, Jesse Wallin has been promoted to director of amateur scouting, and Dan Cleary is serving as interim general manager of the Grand Rapids Griffins. Former Red Wings scout Mark Leach is also reported to be returning in a scouting role, which the team has not announced.
The European side has stayed in place. Niklas Kronwall remains director of European development and Hakan Andersson remains director of European scouting, with Lidstrom taking on a larger share of oversight of the club’s work overseas, a change he told Expressen he had anticipated.
The backdrop
Lidstrom’s comments come during a turbulent opening stretch. The Red Wings dropped their first two games amid “sell the team” chants at Little Caesars Arena, prompting owner Chris Ilitch to publicly acknowledge fan frustration, before earning their first win Tuesday against Ottawa. Restricted free agent defenseman Simon Edvinsson also remains unsigned.
Detroit (1-2-0) hosts the Seattle Kraken on Friday at Little Caesars Arena.
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