PITTSBURGH — No, but thank you.
That apparently was Chris Drury’s response when the Penguins sought to interview him for their vacant general manager job. The 44-year-old Drury, assistant GM for the New York Rangers, is viewed as a rising star. The Penguins were smart to contact him.
It figured Drury would at least interview. What could be the harm? There are only 32 of these jobs on the planet, after all, and only one that includes Sidney Crosby as part of the deal.
So when TSN’s Bob McKenzie reported Drury “isn’t interested in leaving New York City or the Rangers at this time,” it raised a few eyebrows.
It raised a serious question, too, although maybe one that was already out there: Is this a good job or a career killer?
On one hand, the new guy will inherit Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang and a win-now mandate from ownership. He’ll be primed to go for it from Day 1. And it’s not like the Penguins are void of younger talent. Players such as Jake Guentzel, Bryan Rust, John Marino, Pierre-Olivier Joseph, Kasperi Kapanen, Jason Zucker and even Brian Dumoulin are still in their 20s, some their early 20s.
On the other hand, the stars are aging fast. Malkin-Letang could be seen as a blessing or a curse. The farm system is ranked among the worst in the NHL, and some of the younger talent on hand — goaltender Tristan Jarry, in particular — is wavering at the moment.
It seems entirely possible that Drury appraised the situation and sensed a trap from which he might never extricate himself. Who wants to be the guy to preside over what many see as the inevitable fall of the Penguins, which some predict will be as ugly as the fall of the Blackhawks?
Would you ever see a second job?
TSN’s Craig Button, a one-time NHL GM, had strong thoughts on the matter in a radio interview on 93.7 The Fan a few days ago. It’s safe to say Button wouldn’t turn down a Penguins interview request.
“One of the things that has really amazed me is when I hear reports saying, ‘Oh, there’s people who are hesitant, who don’t look at the job favorably,’ ” Button said. “And I’m going, ‘What? You don’t look at the job favorably?’ I mean, the Pittsburgh Penguins and their commitment to winning and their ownership group and the players they have and the window they have to win, however you want to look at that window, that’s a plum job.
“As Bob Gainey, who I worked for, for a long time, told me many years ago: ‘Every market has its own unique advantages, and every market has its own distinct challenges.’ So if you think any job as a manager in the National Hockey League is perfect, you’re wrong. The Pittsburgh Penguins, to me, I’m just amazed to hear comments that it might not be a job that holds a lot of luster for some people. Oh, OK, tell me who you are so we can eliminate you from this search.”
I lean toward Button’s side of the argument, but not zealously so. If the Penguins called, I’d surely want to know that I had the freedom to do as I see fit with Malkin and Letang, both of whom have one year left on their contracts.
Would I be free to seek a trade for Letang? Would I be under ownership mandate to re-sign Malkin — assuming he wants to keep playing here — even if I thought it was better for the franchise to let him go after next season or trade him before then?
Would I have complete autonomy on the coaching situation?
What, precisely, is the job description here? Is there an expiration date on “win now?”
I’d also want to know if ownership was committed to sticking around for the long term and what kind of financial shape the organization is in. Mario Lemieux and Ron Burkle are now headed toward a quarter-century together.
I still see a window to build around Crosby. I like some of that young talent. A few deals could help supplement the farm system, and players can be found anywhere. Guentzel (third round), Rust (third round), Joseph (late first round, later traded) and Marino (sixth round) are prime examples.
The Penguins will attract excellent candidates. TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reports that Ron Hextall (credited with sparking the Flyers’ turnaround), Tom Fitzgerald (my favored candidate), Cup winner Peter Chiarelli (Bruins, 2011) and ex-Penguins assistant GM Jason Botterrill (now assistant GM in Seattle) could be in play.
Rightly or wrongly, enough people still believe this is a good job.
Drury seemingly wasn’t one of them. We’ll know in a couple of years if he was right.
