In a late night news drop, Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic, who has long been well connected with the goings on of the Carolina Hurricanes franchise, reported that the Canes have granted general manager and team president Don Waddell permission to speak with other teams.
LeBrun reported that with Waddell's contract set to expire, the team is allowing him to potentially test the market and that they've already had internal conversations about a new GM.
Waddell's contract was unceremoniously re-upped in 2022 after it was reported at the time that he then was allowed to talk with other teams as well.
Perhaps this is a similar move for him to see his value, but perhaps the 65-year-old long-time hockey executive is looking to move on.
According to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman, Waddell has already interviewed with one team, the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Waddell has been the general manager in Carolina since 2018 when new owner Tom Dundon took over and has also worked as the team president and the manager of PNC Arena in that time too so he's worn many hats with the Canes.
He's a well connected manager who's done a good job for the Hurricanes with trades and contracts, but it really is a brain-trust/group effort in Carolina so a potential exit wouldn't be catastrophic.
There are a few internal names that would make sense such as assistant general manager Eric Tulsky who is regarded around the league's as one of the brightest minds in hockey and there is also Justin Williams who has been a special advisor to Waddell since retiring in 2020.
It's hard to predict what will happen in the future, but this will be a key thing to keep an eye on.
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