The Detroit Red Wings have reportedly ruled out one internal candidate for their GM job.
Reporter Bob Duff broke the specific detail on Detroit Hockey Now, narrowing the field in a meaningful way.
"We do know that Red Wings assistant GM Kris Draper has been informed that he isn't getting the job," Duff said.
That's a real signal about which direction ownership wants to go after weeks of an unresolved search.
Draper has been part of Detroit's front office as assistant GM, giving him an inside track that clearly didn't translate into the top job.
Ruling out an internal candidate this directly suggests the Red Wings are leaning toward bringing in someone from outside the organization entirely.
That matters given how long this search has already dragged. Detroit has been without a GM since Steve Yzerman vacated the role back in July.
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Red Wings make major GM decision as Dylan Larkin saga hangs over Detroit
Every piece of this search connects back to Dylan Larkin's stalled trade request, still unresolved months after it became public.
Larkin posted 34 goals and 33 assists for 67 points last season, exactly the caliber of player that needs a real decision-maker steering his situation.
Training camp opens September 17, meaning whoever eventually gets this job will inherit the Larkin question almost immediately upon arrival.
Is ruling out an internal option a sign of real progress, or does it just confirm how unsettled this entire process still is?
It's the hiring equivalent of finally crossing one name off a shortlist. Real movement, technically, even if the actual decision is still nowhere in sight.
Detroit finished last season 41-31-10, good for 16th overall, still missing the playoffs for a 10th consecutive season along the way.
My take: eliminating a candidate is still progress, even if it doesn't answer who actually gets the job or when this finally wraps up.
Camp is closing in fast, and Detroit still doesn't have the one person whose decision matters most in resolving its biggest storyline.
Should the Red Wings hire completely outside the organization for their next GM?
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