Eric Tulsky, Darren Yorke, and Aaron Schwartz In the Running for Top Jobs Around The NHL

Should Carolina Hurricanes fans worry about talent leaving the organization this offseason?

RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA - JULY 23: The stage is set inside the Carolina Hurricanes locker room before the start of the first round of the 2021 NHL Entry Draft at PNC Arena on July 23, 2021 in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Photo by Matt Sutor/NHLI via Getty Images)

In the last five years, the Carolina Hurricanes have transformed from a bunch line around the National Hockey League to a perennial Stanley Cup contender. Superior talent on the ice, greater support from fans within their market, and a major increase in capital investment from owner Tom Dundon have all played a role in the organization's development.

With his team currently battling the New Jersey Devils in the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs general manager Don Waddell has no reason to worry about whether he'll have a job at the start of next season. In fact, no member of his staff should be concerned about their futures in Raleigh.

Carolina's front office is recognized around the league for being able to increase the talent level of their roster without leveraging major future assets. Normally, when a management staff gains a reputation for long-term success, the GM's lieutenants begin to get offers.

Teams around the NHL looking for fresh perspectives to help or lead their rebuilds are now looking at Carolina for potential hires.

Nothing is set in stone. With the Stanley Cup Playoffs in full swing, no organization is willing to make a decision or even create a short list before they can look at all of their options. "I've heard that people whose teams are still in the playoffs that might want to be talked to are Eric Tulsky in Carolina," Elliotte Friedman reported on today's episode of 32 Thoughts the Podcast. "Actually, I think there have been a couple of different names in Carolina. I think Tulsky's name has been up. I think Aaron Schwartz has been up, and someone told me they even heard Darren Yorke's name somewhere. There are a couple of people in Carolina's office that people want to talk to," Friedman continued.

Eric Tulsky’s official team headshot.

Eric Tulsky serves as Assistant GM in Carolina, and the question isn't if he'll receive an offer to become an NHL GM. The question is, when? Since joining the organization in 2014 Tulsky has made a name for himself using his tech background to develop and manage Carolina's hockey analytics department. The data gathered by him and his team are used in everything from personnel decisions to on-ice strategy.

Aaron Schwartz is now in his second season as Director of Hockey Operations in Carolina. Before joining the management team in Raleigh Schwartz spent time in the Montreal Canadiens and Washington Capitals organizations.

Darren Yorke’s official team headshot.

Darren Yorke might surprise people who aren't familiar with his work in Raleigh. In his second year as Assistant GM Yorke has had a long tenure within the organization, starting as a video scout in 2009.

Now working under his third GM for the franchise Darren has proven himself invaluable working his way up from video scout to Manager of Scouting, then Director of Player Personnel, and now Assistant General Manager. While he's currently seen as a long-shot hire by other organizations there is no doubt that Yorke has a bright future within the hockey world.

It is extremely unlikely that the Hurricanes will give other teams permission to talk to these three while the team they helped assemble is still challenging for the Stanley Cup. But, once Garry Bettman awards the most cherished trophy in professional sports don't be surprised to see any of these three men mentioned in hiring rumors around the NHL.