I agree with you, who knows if there is or isn't a WOW candidate? Most if not all people here aren't privy to the interview process, so I don't think anyone can comment on the 'wow-ability' of someone currently toiling in the ranks of the assistant gm ranks.
That being said, I think a 'wow-able' assistant gm simply does not exist. Firstly, you can't exactly know if any say revolutionary approach to something such as amateur scouting or player evaluation is a function of the assistant manager's brilliance, his general manager's, or simply the product of a committee of coaches and managers.
Secondly, an assistant general manager can't be a 'wow-able' candidate because the nature of his position is that he has limitations, largely in that he acts as a second pair of hands of the GM. He's not the one making most of the final decisions or, he's simply putting his gm's decisions into action.
There is a lot of projection involved in bumping up an assistant gm to a gm position, so I can understand why its taking some time. The Habs took a month to hire Bergevin, and I think one advantage he had is that he had experience in a number of different job titles in an organization. Also, him coming from the Hawks also helped.
I'm not worried about that pompous blowhard Brian Burke entering into the fray for a GM. The one advantage he may have over LaFontaine is that his network of contacts within the hockey community is probably larger. The one disadvantage Brian Burke has is that, well, he's Brian Burke.
