Los Angeles Dodgers former GM joins San Jose Sharks as scout

Former Los Angeles Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti has a new job, but it is not what anyone would expect.

It is not a surprise when a former major league general manager finds a job with another team. Some move on to the front office of another team, either to take over the reins, or to serve as some sort of an assistant. Some move in different directions, such as Ruben Amaro going from the Phillies front office to the Red Sox coaching staff. Others still move into a scouting role, getting back to the diamond to record their observations.

As such, it is not a shock that former Los Angeles Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti is getting back into scouting. What is a surprise, however, is the team that Colletti will be scouting for – the San Jose Sharks at both the AHL and NHL level.

Yes, Colletti will be heading to the NHL. Instead of pitching velocity, he will be seeing how hard that slap shot really is. Reaction times, speed, and power will still be important – just in a different context.

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It is not as though Colletti is going into the NHL scouting realm as a complete neophyte. He was a Blackhawks fan going up, and had spent time as a beat writer for the Flyers before beginning his career in baseball.

Colletti did have an eye for talent as a general manager. During his nine years as the Dodgers GM, they had the most wins of any team in the majors. However, the Dodgers finished short of the ultimate prize, failing to reach the World Series in that time, leading to his ouster. He had remained with a team as a senior advisor following his being relieved of his duties.

Now, Colletti has a new challenge. His eye for talent will be moving to a different league, one that has changed greatly in the 37 years since he started his baseball career. Will his ability to find talent hold up in a different league? Or will this experiment prove to be a mistake for the Sharks?

It will certainly be interesting to see what type of an impact Ned Colletti can have on the San Jose Sharks as a scout. If nothing else, it will be an interesting item on the resume for the former Los Angeles Dodgers GM.