Bill Zito's name has become a regular in the NHL's rumor mill.
He's a fast-rising candidate for GM openings around the league, having interviewed or been mentioned as a possibility for several jobs in the last few years: Buffalo, Edmonton, Carolina, Minnesota, and Philadelphia...just to name a few. Regarded as a skilled negotiator and talent evaluator, Zito is popping up on the radar for pretty much any team that has an opening.
One of those teams without a GM is Seattle's yet-to-be-named expansion team, which begins play in 2021-2022. And, you guessed it, Zito is in the mix to be the team's GM, according to a Thursday report from ESPN's Jordan Schultz:
Columbus Blue Jackets Assistant GM Bill Zito is in Seattle interviewing for the GM job today for Seattles NHL expansion team, per source.
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) May 9, 2019
Zito joined the Blue Jackets organization in 2013 as assistant GM under Jarmo Kekalainen, with whom he had a previous relationship from his days as a player agent. Zito has also served as GM of Team USA for the 2018 IIHF World Championship, and in the last few years has served as GM of the AHL's Cleveland Monsters.
