Speculation: Open Music Director Positions

So, there are multiple important music director positions open around the world. A couple of them will surely be settled within the next few months, others are likely to be open for a while.

• New York Philharmonic: Jaap van Zweden leaves the position at the end of the 2023-24 season. I expect an announcement early this year, ahead of Deborah Borda's retirement at the end of the 2022-23 season. Is Gustavo Dudamel going to take this? Will someone Finnish be appointed? Will the new music director be a complete surprise?
• Chicago Symphony: Riccardo Muti leaves the position at the end of the current (2022-23) season. I suppose it's possible that they won't have a successor chosen by then, but it seems unlikely.
• Seattle Symphony: Thomas Dausgaard left abruptly a year ago. No successor has been announced yet. It's possible that the unfortunate circumstances have made potential candidates wary.
• Berlin State Opera: Daniel Barenboim has resigned, effective the end of this month. Unless a successor is already lined up, this is likely to take some time.
• Corollary to that first bullet: If Dudamel goes to the NY Philharmonic, who will be appointed at the LA Philharmonic? Principal guest conductor Susanna Mälkki's appointment at the Helsinki Philharmonic closes with the 2023-24 season. There was a time when MGT, who was an assistant conductor at the LA Phil, would have been a candidate, but it's clear that she's not looking right now.