Second interviews coming in Wild GM search

Bruce Bisping, Dml - Star Tribune

Wild owner Craig Leipold

Wild owner Craig Leipold soon will name a handful of finalists who will receive second interviews for the job.

By MICHAEL RUSSO, Star Tribune

Last update: May 12, 2009 - 10:57 PM

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The Wild's search for a new general manager continues at a methodical pace.

Initial interviews will be completed today, when it's believed owner Craig Leipold will sit down with Tom Lynn, the Wild's longtime assistant GM who has been the acting general manager since Doug Risebrough was fired last month.

The meeting will take place in Milwaukee, where the Admirals will play host to the Wild's American Hockey League affiliate, the Houston Aeros, tonight in Game 7 of the West Division Finals.

Leipold is then expected to chop his list to a handful of finalists who will be brought back to Minnesota for second interviews and tours of the Wild's offices and Xcel Energy Center.

However, the process has been delayed because three of the expected finalists have been busy at work.

Chuck Fletcher, the Pittsburgh Penguins' assistant GM, and Dave McNab, the Anaheim Ducks' assistant GM, work for teams still alive in the playoffs. (The Ducks trailed Detroit 3-2 before Game 6 on Tuesday night). And Pierre McGuire is working almost daily as an analyst for the Canadian sports network, TSN.

According to sources, that has created a scheduling challenge because it's believed the Wild would like to bang out second interviews consecutively before making a decision.

What does this all mean? The Wild likely is still a week or two from hiring a new general manager.

According to sources, Leipold, former Wild CEO Jac Sperling and Wild COO Matt Majka have interviewed at least McGuire, Fletcher, McNab, long-time NHL coach and GM Pat Quinn and Nashville Predators executives Paul Fenton and Mike Santos. Leipold has also interviewed Tampa Bay assistant GM Claude Loiselle at least by phone, and it's unclear whether former Tampa Bay GM Jay Feaster is still a candidate.

There could be others who have yet to be identified.

There really is no urgency for Leipold to hire somebody immediately.

There are no pressing deadlines to be met because Lynn has already signed 2007 draft picks Cody Almond and Carson McMillan by the June 1 deadline.

A new GM would have all of June to exclusively negotiate with Marian Gaborik before he becomes a free agent July 1. And, the reality is it's still a longshot that Gaborik will re-sign with the Wild this close to free agency.

One priority for a new GM would be hiring a coach, but there's time for that, too. It's usually only necessary to have a coach in place by the start of free agency.

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