Capitals' promotion of Chris Patrick to GM seen as strong succession plan for franchise

Capitals President of Hockey Operations & GM Brian MacLellan has "stepped aside" as the team’s GM while retaining his role as president, with associate GM Chris Patrick stepping into the GM role, according to Bailey Johnson of the WASHINGTON POST. Patrick has “worked closely with MacLellan for the past three years” and been with the club for 16 seasons. Now he will “take over the day-to-day operations” as SVP & GM, with MacLellan "overseeing the front office but not running the organization on a daily basis” (WASHINGTON POST, 7/8).

POWER PLAY: In D.C., Barry Svrluga writes the Capitals “initiated a transfer of power” yesterday, with Patrick now the “man with his finger on the organization’s pulse.” Monumental Sports & Entertainment founder & CEO Ted Leonsis said he viewed the promotion “as a natural progression for the organization” and the move “kind of future-proofs” the team. Svrluga wrote while this transition “was going to come at some point," it also “seems sudden.” MacLellan just finished leading the execution of an offseason plan that, “at initial glance, seems to have vastly improved a roster that had to scrape into the playoffs in its last regular season game.” But Patrick has “earned more and more responsibility” over the years and the “line of succession seemed obvious.” The strategy for the Capitals, going forward, will “increasingly have Chris Patrick’s fingerprints on it.” But the “challenge will be twofold: Usher the franchise into an era when it no longer has its undisputed franchise player but also maintain the consistency that a generation of fans here has come to expect” (WASHINGTON POST, 7/8).