L.A. Kings GM opening: 13 possible candidates to replace Rob Blake

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The separation was finalized last weekend but Rob Blake had been talking with Luc Robitaille about his future as the Los Angeles Kings’ general manager for months, if not longer.

Blake, who was finishing up his contract, stepped aside upon mutual agreement after eight seasons. A fourth consecutive first-round loss to the Edmonton Oilers was difficult to go out on, but both sides felt it was necessary.

“I think at one point, we both realized and agreed that it was time to probably bring a new voice, just to get us to that next level,” Robitaille said during his news conference Tuesday.

Now the Kings president will lead a search for a GM. Robitaille said it began Monday, and that the incoming GM likely will make the decision about the future of coach Jim Hiller.

There is no stated timeline, but Robitaille said he understands there is urgency, with the draft and free agency less than two months away. Key front office personnel such as assistant GM Nelson Emerson and director of player development Glen Murray remain under contract. Asked whether he’d prefer someone with prior NHL GM experience, Robitaille said he’s keeping an open mind about candidates.

“I’m not going to close any doors on anything, but we got to get the best person to help us get to the next level,” Robitaille said. “And that’s what’s more important for me right now. It’s not fair to say we’re going to go one way or the other.”

The Kings’ next GM will take over a club that Blake positioned to contend, with an average of 102 points over the last four seasons — but also a team that has been unable to get past the first round. Blake’s track record was mixed but Robitaille thanked his friend, stating he “has more integrity than anyone I’ve ever known.”

“He’s left us with a damn good team,” he added. “And he left this franchise in great shape.”

Who could become Blake’s successor? Here are some potential candidates, listed in alphabetical order.

Marc Bergevin

The Kings might be tight-lipped about their search, but things certainly line up for Bergevin to be the early favorite — maybe the clear favorite. Bergevin has been a senior adviser to Blake since January 2022 but also spent nine-plus years as GM of the Montreal Canadiens. He’s had Robitaille’s ear. Bergevin was also quite visible around the team this season. The New York Islanders are also looking at him as a possible GM successor to Lou Lamoriello.

“(Marc’s) a really good hockey mind,” Robitaille said. “He’s been really good for our team.”

Pat Brisson

Would Brisson consider leaving behind his agency and running a club? It’s not as if the 60-year-old super-agent hasn’t been asked before. What makes him a possibility here is his tight relationship with Robitaille — the two have been friends for decades, and Brisson represented Robitaille as a player — and the fact that he works out of the Los Angeles area. Perhaps the sticking point here is that Brisson might be more interested in being a team president — Robitaille’s position — than a GM. Years ago, the Islanders talked to Brisson about heading hockey operations.

Mathieu Darche

Darche has been mentioned prominently as a “when, not if” candidate when it comes to running his own team. He has worked closely with Tampa Bay Lightning GM Julien BriseBois, trying to keep a star-laden franchise with a championship pedigree in contention mode. Darche, 48, who worked three years as the Bolts’ director of hockey operations before the promotion to assistant GM, does heavy lifting behind the scenes when it comes to contract work and identifying trade targets.

Nelson Emerson

There isn’t any question that Emerson has put in the time. After a 12-year, 771-game NHL playing career that wound down with the Kings, Emerson, now 57, joined the organization first as an assistant coach in 2006 before moving into player development and then further up the ranks as director of player personnel. He’s been their sole assistant GM since Blake promoted his close friend — and former college teammate at Bowling Green — three years ago. Familiarity could work for him or against him, depending on whether Robitaille is intent on bringing in a different voice and mindset.

Mike Futa

Could Futa re-enter Kings HQ? There is a sense that a return of the former executive — best known for co-running the Kings’ scouting department during their Stanley Cup-winning years — would be viewed favorably by a segment of the fan base. These days, Futa is staying visible in his native Toronto, co-hosting a daily Sportsnet show across Canada. But he was part of the Kings’ front office from 2007-20, including serving as Blake’s assistant GM for three years until being let go when Emerson and Murray gained more prominent roles. Would he want to return?

I would come back in a heartbeat

— Michael Futa (@FutaMichael) May 5, 2025

Mike Gillis

Need an experienced GM with a fresh set of eyes who can take a team to the next level? Gills, 66, might seem off the board but he presided over a Vancouver Canucks club that had four 100-point seasons, two Presidents’ Trophies and a Stanley Cup Final appearance in his six years. Gillis has a strong personality, and that might make for an interesting dynamic in the Kings’ front office, but he’s extremely well-connected, going back to his days as an agent. The fact that his tenure didn’t end well in Vancouver might be a strike against him.

Cammi Granato/Èmilie Castonguay

Combining these two isn’t a slight on either, but is a reflection of their shared roles as assistant GMs with the Canucks. Both are seen as risers within the NHL management community. It is still Jim Rutherford’s show in Vancouver, with GM Patrik Allvin doing the day-to-day business, but Granato and Castonguay are accomplished. Castonguay has been lauded for her work handling player contracts and management of the salary cap. Granato, one of the first two female players inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame, is focused on the player-personnel wing while also overseeing scouting.

Jarmo Kekäläinen

Kekäläinen is taking a breather after 11 seasons as the GM of the Columbus Blue Jackets, a tenure marked by big moves, key free-agent defections and the highs of the 2019 and 2020 playoffs, when the Blue Jackets upset Tampa Bay and Toronto in consecutive years. Kekäläinen didn’t lift Columbus to lasting success, but he’s long been respected and praised for his scouting acumen. Energized and refreshed a year after being fired in Columbus, Kekäläinen likely is eager to get a second shot in the big chair.

Brandon Pridham

Pridham is another from the “when, not if” category. He’s been part of the Brendan Shanahan sphere with the Toronto Maple Leafs, serving as assistant GM under Kyle Dubas and then Brad Treliving. And while he has worked for an organization with vast resources, Pridham, 51, has extensive salary-cap knowledge in keeping the Leafs compliant. (It doesn’t hurt that he once worked as the NHL’s cap enforcer.) He also negotiates contracts and is considered an expert in the collective-bargaining agreement. The Leafs have been determined to keep him, rebuffing previous overtures from Pittsburgh and Calgary.

Scott White/Mark Janko

GM Jim Nill has built a consistent Stanley Cup contender in Dallas, blending high-performing veterans with homegrown talent that is set to lead the club into the future. Tapping into the Stars’ management tree should be considered. White and Janko have been Nill’s assistants, with White running a successful AHL club and Janko handling the Stars’ contracts — in a particularly effective manner with their core players. Either executive could be a successor to Nill if the longtime executive decides he’s tired of the daily grind.

Ray Whitney

Whitney was a finalist for the San Jose Sharks’ GM opening in 2022, which eventually went to Mike Grier. That hasn’t stopped “The Wizard” from eyeing a management role. He’s been in the NHL’s Department of Player Safety since 2017. Personable and popular, the 53-year-old Whitney certainly would have the league’s backing, but his inexperience in a team’s front office could be a drawback. He also has no tangential tie to the Kings, unlike with the Sharks, for whom he once played.

(Photo of Jarmo Kekäläinen: Kyle Robertson / Imagn Images)

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