The Most Intriguing Name in Red Wings' Expansive GM Search

As training camp draws near, the Detroit Red Wings reportedly aren't afraid to think outside of the box in pursuit of a new GM.

Detroit Red Wings logo Credit: David Kirouac-USA TODAY Sports / USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

With less than a month to go until the official start of training camp and the NHL preseason, the Detroit Red Wings have still yet to name their new general manager, who will be tasked with filling the shoes of Steve Yzerman after he stepped down from his post last month.

Among the remaining pieces of business for the Red Wings, the organization still needs to find a solution for disgruntled captain Dylan Larkin, along with needing to re-sign top-pair defenseman Simon Edvinsson, who is one of just seven remaining unsigned restricted free agents across the league.

According to a new report, though, the Red Wings are actively conducting interviews, and one candidate clearly stands out amongst the rest.

EliteProspects' Sean Shapiro, in a recent mailbag on his "Shap Shots" Substack, named four candidates believed to be in the running to become the next Red Wings GM, including one currently running the show in another sport entirely.

"The team is currently conducting interviews, and from my understanding in the hockey world Florida AGM Brett Peterson, San Jose AGM Jeff Kealty, and Dallas AGM Scott White have all been looked at by the Red Wings/TurnkeyZRG," Shapiro wrote.

And then the kicker.

"We also have pretty strong indications that Jeff Greenberg, the Tigers GM, is in the running for the job."

Tigers’ Greenberg Should Be Legitimate Dark-Horse Candidate

Detroit Tigers general manager Jeff Greenberg / USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Greenberg, who presently runs the show for the local Detroit Tigers in the MLB, is far and away the most interesting candidate among those named by Shapiro and, by extension, drawing interest from the Red Wings.

The Pittsburgh, Pa., native has been the Tigers' GM since Sept. 21, 2023, and recently made some seismic moves for the franchise, trading superstar pitcher Tarik Skubal to the Los Angeles Dodgers and sending pitcher Casey Mize over to the San Diego Padres.

It is especially worth noting that, before Greenberg joined the Tigers, he worked for the Chicago Blackhawks, serving as their associate general manager for the 2022-23 season, a year that oversaw the departure of club icon Patrick Kane and culminated in the drafting of Connor Bedard with the No. 1 pick in the subsequent 2023 draft.

Greenberg wouldn't be Shapiro's personal pick -- that distinction belongs to the Panthers' Peterson, with Florida colleague Sunny Mehta having already packed up and gone over to New Jersey to take control of the Devils.

Still, the fact that Greenberg has been out of hockey for three seasons now and working in a different sport entirely speaks to the job he's done with the Tigers, and maybe how his brief tenure with Chicago was viewed, too.

With training camp looming, this is a burgeoning situation worth monitoring, and one that has certainly come from left field.