Tampa Likes Rangers' Doug Risebrough for GM

According to Damian Cristodero of the St. Petersburg Times , the Tampa Bay Lightning are considering hiring Rangers’ scout Doug Risebrough as their general manager and the feeling seems to be mutual.

“Yes,” Doug Risebrough said, “I’m very interested.”

Larry Brooks, of the NY Post, first reported on March 1 that the Lightning were interested in signing Risebrough, but with the season still going on nothing really happened at the time. Well things may be heating up now. Risebrough was the Minnesota Wild’s GM for the first eight  years of the team’s existence and Jac Sperling, who himself worked as the alternate governor of the Wild, is in charge of Tampa’s GM and CEO search.

Risebrough sounds like he’d have no problem taking the job if it were offered. Here are a couple of quotes that are very favorable to the Lightning.

“I think the way they’re doing it and going about it is the right approach,” Risebrough said of the Lightning. “They’re taking their time. The most important thing is getting it right.

“Right now, it’s a good young team. It deserves a good, bright future.”

Because the Rangers owner, James Dolan, and their current general manager hardly ever talk to the press it is impossible to know if they are even considering promoting Risebrough. So it might be premature to think that he’s already as good as gone, but it certainly seems that way.

If the Rangers ownership doesn’t at least consider their options when it comes to their GM then it’s really sad. It’s already sad that we have no idea whatsoever if they have plans or even thoughts of replacing Sather.

What do you think? Is this a candidate you’d like to see get a shot running the team on Broadway? In eight seasons with the Wild, Risebrough took the team from non-existence to the playoffs three times.

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