The Athletic’s Craig Custance offers suggestions to rectify the Wings’ front office brain drain

Last night, the Detroit News’s John Niyo noted that Ken Holland’s most interesting comment during locker room clean-out day involved an acknowledgment of the “brain drain” in the Wings’ front office, and his desire to add to a depleted brain trust.

Today, The Athletic’s Craig Custance offers suggestions as to who the Wings might want to add to complement Holland, Ryan Martin and Kris Draper:

One NHL source also pointed out on Tuesday that Holland has to be careful not to bring in someone angling for his job.

“You have to bring in somebody you like and trust,” said the Western Conference executive. “You have to be a little bit careful there. Most guys won’t do it, but if you have a guy who has any inkling they can take the job, you can get in trouble in a hurry.”

But if the point is to gain fresh perspective, the Red Wings also have to be careful not to bring in an old friend who will just reinforce current beliefs. It’s a fine line.

It’s early in the process, so any candidate names would just be speculation. There are options on the open market, though, if that’s a direction the Red Wings want to go.

The upcoming draft is the biggest in Holland’s tenure, so it would be wise to bring in an executive with draft experience. Former Sabres GM Tim Murray built his reputation through a strong drafting record with the Senators and Ducks. He was also a Red Wings scout for one year early in his career. His skill set would certainly complement those already in the Red Wings front office. He’s fiery, aggressive and eager to implement new technologies in player evaluation, among other attributes.

Custance continues (paywall)…