The Detroit Red Wings’ search for Steve Yzerman’s replacement has apparently eliminated another familiar name.

Assistant general manager and director of amateur scouting Kris Draper has been informed that he will not get Detroit’s top hockey operations job, according to Detroit Hockey Now. The report adds a firmer conclusion to Tuesday’s indications that Draper and other internal candidates were falling out of contention.

Draper had been part of the conversation since Detroit launched its search. Elliotte Friedman previously identified Draper and fellow assistant GM Shawn Horcoff among the internal candidates, a group that was examined when Detroit’s candidate pool began taking shape.

His reported elimination further reduces a field that has already changed considerably in recent days.

Detroit’s Candidate Pool Keeps Shrinking

The Red Wings had already begun informing some candidates that they were no longer in contention before Detroit Tigers general manager Jeff Greenberg withdrew from consideration Monday.

Now Draper, one of the organization’s most recognizable internal options, reportedly joins the group that will not replace Yzerman.

Detroit Hockey Now also reported that it contacted several NHL sources and could not confirm that an outside hire was imminent. The outlet said it could not verify that some of the external candidates linked to the position had even interviewed.

That does not establish that Detroit has abandoned an outside search. It does make the remaining process increasingly difficult to read from the outside.

Red Wings Running Short on Time

Detroit has been searching since Yzerman transitioned into a senior adviser role on July 15. At the time, the organization said Chris Ilitch would lead a search considering both internal and external candidates.

Nearly two months later, there is still no permanent replacement.

The calendar is beginning to matter. The Red Wings open training camp Sept. 17, leaving Detroit barely more than a week to settle its leadership structure before players take the ice.

Horcoff has continued handling day-to-day hockey operations and represented Detroit on Tuesday’s NHL call with general managers and coaches. Draper’s reported elimination does not make Horcoff the eventual choice, but it removes another internal possibility from a search that has produced far more questions than answers.