Flyers Offer Colin Campbell GM Job

TSN is reporting that the Flyers have offered their general manager job to NHL executive vice president and director of hockey operations Colin Campbell. It is believed that he will have an answer for the team within 48 hours. Campbell was an assistant coach under Mike Keenan with the New York Rangers when they won the Stanley Cup in 1994. He then became head coach the next season and lasted in that capacity until 1998. After leaving the Rangers, Campbell was hired by the league to be its disciplinarian. There It Is take: As with all things Flyers, there are two sides to this. On the one hand, the offer to Campbell can be viewed as a positive. Through his work with the league, Campbell would have an extensive amount of contacts and resources to draw upon in finding ways to bring respectability back to the franchise. Also on the positive side of the ledger is that fact that he has no previous ties to the organization and is a true outsider. This fact cannot be underestimated. On the other hand, Campbell has never been a general manager and would figure to take some time to learn the ropes. Also, because he's an outsider, he would need time to learn about the team and the players in the system that he knows nothing about. Finally,it shows that the old-boy network is alive and well in the "new NHL" as Campbell is a hockey lifer who put in his time playing in Pittsburgh, Edmonton, Vancouver, and Detroit -- where he was also an assistant coach before joining the Rangers. Boiling it all down, I like this move. It's bold step by Ed Snider and doesn't represent his usual toe-the-party-line thinking. Campbell may be old-school -- but he's not old-school Flyers. This can be nothing but a good thing. Excuse me? Update: The Daily News is reporting that Colin Campbell was originally offered the job while Clarke still held the position (emphasis mine): According to an NHL source, league executive vice president Colin Campbell has been offered the job as Flyers general manager. The source said Campbell was offered the job before it became known that former GM Bob Clarke wanted out. According to the source, Campbell initially declined. It was unclear last night where the offer stands, but there are indications the offer might still be on the table and that Campbell is reconsidering. The Flyers have no announcement scheduled and, according to the source, the team still is considering how to fill the vacancy left by Clarke.