Detroit Red Wings GM search takes a strange turn as pressure builds

The Red Wings general manager search just hit an odd bump in the road.

According to longtime Windsor Star columnist Bob Duff, Detroit has not conducted a single interview for the job, despite earlier reporting that suggested candidates would start sitting down with the club as early as the second week of August.

That's a notable gap. Elliotte Friedman said on NHL Tonight the process was about to ramp up, with candidates expected to bring a full plan for turning the organization around.

Detroit hired an outside search firm, reportedly TurnkeyZRG, to help vet the pool, and names like Tigers GM Jeff Greenberg have floated around as intriguing options.

But if Duff's report holds up, none of that has actually turned into face time with a candidate.

Every week without a hire is another week Shawn Horcoff runs the front office in an interim role, unable to make trades.

That freeze has already stalled any resolution to Dylan Larkin's trade request and leaves the Red Wings without a clear voice heading into training camp.

Owner Chris Ilitch has stayed quiet on the timeline, and the search firm hasn't tipped its hand publicly either.

Fans hoping for clarity before camp opens may need to keep waiting.

With more than two dozen candidates reportedly in the mix and no public shortlist, Detroit's front office overhaul looks more like a slow burn than a sprint.

The longer this stretches, the more pressure builds on Ilitch to show the fan base a real direction.

For now, the only certainty is that Detroit's next GM still hasn't sat down for a single interview.

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