Here’s an Oft-Overlooked Candidate for Penguins’ GM Job

A former member of the Pittsburgh Penguins’ front office is on the shrinking list of candidates to become their next general manager.

And it isn’t necessarily one-time associate GM Jason Botterill, currently an assistant to GM Ron Francis in Seattle, although indications are that he continues to make the cut, too.

Fenway Sports Group executives have not spoken publicly about the search since it began, which means there’s no way of being completely certain about where things stand for various candidates, but Dan MacKinnon, an assistant to New Jersey GM Tom Fitzgerald, still is among those under serious consideration.

MacKinnon joined the Penguins as a scout during Ray Shero’s tenure as GM, and eventually was promoted to director of pro scouting and director of player personnel.

He joined the Devils as director of player personnel in 2016 after Shero was named their GM and was bumped up to assistant GM three years later. He also is a senior vice president of hockey operations in New Jersey.

MacKinnon has stayed largely under the radar during the Penguins’ GM search, attracting far less attention than the likes of Carolina assistant GM Eric Tulsky and former Arizona GM John Chayka, among others.

There is, however, much about him that would explain MacKinnon’s appeal to the FSG decision-makers.

He not only played a part in constructing the Pittsburgh Penguins’ three most recent Stanley Cup-winning teams, as well as helping to put together a young, fast, skilled roster for the Devils, but has proven during his time in New Jersey to be adept at operating within a corporate structure that seems to have much in common with Fenway’s.

(Private-equity executives Josh Harris and David Blitzer head the Devils’ ownership group.)

Where all of that puts MacKinnon among the candidates is hard to say, and a single conversation any of them has with FSG’s decision-makers conceivably could lead to an instant shuffling of those rankings, but he’s someone to keep in mind as the GM hunt moves toward its conclusion.