Who do you guys hope for? Just from the top of my head, I think of;
Brian Burke
Craig Patrick
Pierre McGuire (Every team looks at him for some reason, not that he would be good lmao)
Rick Dudley
John Davidson himself could take over I guess.
Rick Dudley is definitely a guy I'd give a look. Has an Ohio connection as he was the captain of the Cincinnati Stingers. I had heard he wanted the job that eventually was Patrick's, but Howson was afraid that Dudley might eventually replace him.
While I'm a Burke fan from his days in Anaheim, I don't know that he and JD could co-exist. It is interesting that Burke's moves in Toronto now look pretty good (though that goaltending is still a question mark).
Ron Hextall should get consideration for what he's done helping Lombardi in LA.
I'm a softie for Ron Francis as well. Guy has always had a great hockey mind and has been groomed down in Carolina to accept this sort of role.
There are others as well, but those are the ones I can think of off the top of my head.