In one of the least surprising developments of the summer, Bill Guerin has interviewed for the general manager job in Minnesota.
Guerin, who has worked in the Penguins' front office since 2011 and is in his fifth season as one of Jim Rutherford's assistant GMs, was a finalist for that position with the Wild a little more than a year ago.
Guerin wasn't the only candidate to discuss the job with Wild owner Craig Leopold on Monday. Michael Russo reported that Leopold also talked about the opening with Don Waddell, whose contract as GM in Carolina expired recently and who previously worked with the Penguins as a scout and consultant after a stint as an executive with the Atlanta Thrashers.
Guerin and Waddell aren't the only contenders with ties to the Penguins. Leopold is believed to be interested in New Jersey assistant GM Tom Fitzgerald, who filled that role here before rejoining Ray Shero in New Jersey. Fitzgerald was widely regarded as the runner-up to Paul Fenton, who was hired by Leopold last summer. Fenton was fired recently, which created the current opening.
Russo also reported that other contenders for the job include former Philadephia GM Ron Hextall, Montreal assistant GM Scott Mellanby and former Tampa Bay GM Brian Lawton.
Guerin played 18 seasons in the NHL, the final two with the Penguins. He was a member of their Stanley Cup-winning team in 2009 and finished his career with 429 goals and 427 assists in 1,263 regular-season games. He also played for New Jersey, where he won a Cup in 1995, Edmonton, Boston, Dallas, St. Louis, San Jose and the Islanders.
The Penguins acquired him from New York at the trade deadline in 2009 and won the franchise's third Stanley Cup a few months later.
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