Report: Rick Dudley to stop preparing Leafs for the Draft, join Canadiens as assistant GM

Dudley and Bergevin would instantly form the studliest management duo in the NHL.

When Marc Bergevin was named the General Manager of the Montreal Canadiens, rumours immediately began swirling that Rick Dudley was close to joining his front-office team. According to a report from TSN's Darren Dreger, Dudley is indeed set to become the Assistant GM in Montreal. Theres just one small hiccup.

Dudley is currently a member of Brian Burke's Lincoln-esque team of rivals in Toronto. While his contract has an out-clause that will allow him to change jobs, it's not quite as easy as all that. Dudley, a premier talent evaluator, has been hard at work preparing the Maple Leafs for the upcoming NHL entry draft in June.

That's a lot of inside information to take to Montreal. From TSN:

Compounding the issue is the fact Toronto and Montreal both have top five picks (Canadiens at third overall, Leafs fifth), an obvious concern for the Maple Leafs, who would rather not share Dudley's expertise with the rival Habs.

Montreal drafts just ahead of Toronto all through the weekend, and with Dudley at their table, they'll effectively have a mole in the Leafs' organization telling them exactly which players Burke and co. are praying will still be on the board. That's a lot of leverage to hold.

That in mind, Burke would prefer that Dudley hold off his first day with the Canadiens organization until, say, July. Will he be able to block the move until then? The two sides are in talks.

(Also, rumour has it Burke has been asking people if that systemic memory deletion firm from "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" is based on a real company.)

When the deal is finally made official, Dudley should prove to be a good front-office addition. The major concern voiced at the Canadiens' hiring of Bergevin is the new GM's inexperience, and Dudley should be able to speak to this. The 63-year-old is as veteran a hockey executive as you're going to find. Since he retired as a player in 1982, he's coached in four different leagues, and he's served as the General Manager of the Ottawa Senators, Tampa Bay Lightning, Florida Panthers, and Atlanta Thrashers.