Who is the worst GM in NHL history?

[ThatsSoSlavin]

After reading an article highlighting who chia traded (hall, eberle, Caggiula) and who has to show for it (larsson, Strome, Manning) it got me thinking as to who holds the title of worst GM ever?

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[Bieber fever]

Millbury ainec

Chiarelli is #2

 

[Hoglander]

Take away the drafting of Brackett, and the Canucks would be in year 5 of their rebuild, and wouldn't have Boeser or Pettersson to show for it. Easily Benning.

 

[Jetcetera]

Chayka

 

[780il]

Millbury's got the 1 spot locked down

Chia is a close #2

 

[LuckyBoeser]

Take away the drafting of Brackett, and the Canucks would be in year 5 of their rebuild, and wouldn't have Boeser or Pettersson to show for it. Easily Benning.

Not a Benning fan by any means, but Chiarelli is easily worse.

 

[Rinkrat]

Gotta be a tossup between Chia and Milbury. I’ll give Milbury the nod since he was such a pompous jerk to boot. One guy from the past who deserves dishonorable mention though is Ned Harkness. It took the Red Wings over a decade to recover from his reign of ineptitude back in the early ‘70s.

 

[Canada Drai]

I see this thread title way too often. Especially being an Oilers fan.

 

[Rockomax]

Réjean Houle should have been an option.

 

[David Suzuki]

Réjean Houle should have been an option.

Way worse then Bergevin. Although that had a lot to do with the money stuff.

 

[WingsMJN2965]

Milbury. But Chia-pet is really trying hard to pass him.

 

[Motte and Bailey]

Honorable mention to Mike Gillis. Couldn’t draft his way out of a paper bag, cost the Canucks a Stanley Cup and was an arrogant jerk who alienated people. He set the franchise back for almost a decade. Couldn’t replace Ehrhoff or get a real line mate for the Sedins. f***ed up having 2 top 10 goalies somehow. Propped up gimmicky stuff like sleep doctors and hiring Chayka’s company Stathletes which is now being exposed as bad representatives of analytics to sell himself as some kind of genius. Fired AV and hired John Tortorella. The list goes on and on. He’s the worst GM to win the GM of the year award. Only reason why people ever thought he was good because the Sedins and Luongo had incredible peaks but fizzled because they had no support from the terrible management.

 

[LaMasquerade]

Had to re-check the facts from wikipedia, and yes, Milbury gets my vote.. he was beyond brutal..

 

[LeafsNation75]

While he is not the worst GM ever I'm surprised to see John Ferguson Junior listed as an option. Yes the Rask for Raycroft trade was bad. However he was also under pressure from the MLSE board of directors to make moves to keep the Leafs in the playoffs and it was reported he wanted to make other moves so they could rebuild and get younger players at the time, which he was not allowed to do.

 

[7even]

While he is not the worst GM ever I'm surprised to see John Ferguson Junior listed as an option. Yes the Rask for Raycroft trade was bad. However he was also under pressure from the MLSE board of directors to make moves to keep the Leafs in the playoffs and it was reported he wanted to make other moves so they could rebuild and get younger players at the time, which he was not allowed to do.

Yeah, the JFJ inclusion feels weird. He was just a generically ineffective GM.

 

[Just Linda]

Seeing MB on this list is just weird. He's not an amazing GM but he's not nearly on the Chia tier.

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

Why is Don Waddell not on this list?

 

[Henkka]

Bergevin looks good on this group.

 

[Bleach Clean]

Honorable mention to Mike Gillis. Couldn’t draft his way out of a paper bag, cost the Canucks a Stanley Cup and was an arrogant jerk who alienated people. He set the franchise back for almost a decade. Couldn’t replace Ehrhoff or get a real line mate for the Sedins. ****ed up having 2 top 10 goalies somehow. Propped up gimmicky stuff like sleep doctors and hiring Chayka’s company Stathletes which is now being exposed as bad representatives of analytics to sell himself as some kind of genius. Fired AV and hired John Tortorella. The list goes on and on. He’s the worst GM to win the GM of the year award. Only reason why people ever thought he was good because the Sedins and Luongo had incredible peaks but fizzled because they had no support from the terrible management.

These views are not shared. Benning belongs here. Gillis? I guess you can keep trying...

 

[nowhereman]

Take away the drafting of Brackett, and the Canucks would be in year 5 of their rebuild, and wouldn't have Boeser or Pettersson to show for it. Easily Benning.

Yes, if you discount the positive things that Benning has done, he doesn't look that great. Sound logic.

Benning walked into a pretty ugly situation. The Sedins didn't want to leave and, even if they did, what team even had the assets/cap space? Kesler wanted out and only to one team, which was widely known by the team trading for him. Most of the roster was old and still had NTCs. And do you ever wonder why the Canucks don't have any real talent over 23? It's because the Gillis regime had one of the worst records of drafting/development in professional sports. Add to that a meddling ownership group and it's easy to see why the Canucks rebuild didn't happen over night.

No, Benning isn't going to be winning GM of the year any time soon but it's just so ridiculous to think that the current state of the Canucks is all his fault. People complain that he's not rebuilding but, out of the other side of their mouth, criticize the quality of the players he's bringing in. They criticize his drafting, for picking a guy like Juolevi, but credit someone else for the Pettersson/Boeser/Hughes picks and revitalizing the prospect pool. Pick a frickin' lane and don't just look for any excuse to complain.

I'm not singing Benning's praises but the vitriol that this man has to endure (mostly by the mob/cult that is HFBoards Canucks) is just painful. He could cure cancer and people would bitch that he didn't do it soon enough. He's no Sam Pollack but he is NOT the worst GM of all time.

Voted Milbury.

 

[Nizdizzle]

Milbury (NYI) - Had the following list of players while they were young or in their prime and managed to trade them all away: Redden, McCabe, Chara, Kasparaitis, Brewer, Salo, Luongo, Jokinen, Connolly, Torres and Bertuzzi.

Doug Maclean (CBJ) is another good pick. Failed for 7 years to take the next step for the Blue Jackets. Numerous horrendous trades, and drafted Brule 6th overall and rushed him to the NHL.

 

[streitz]

Mike Smith(Jets early 90's and Hawks late 90's early 2000's) was just as bad as MAD MIKE. Maybe worse. Difference being that Mike somehow kept his job for like a decade and Mike Smith was canned both times after 3ish years.

Put it this way. He more or less runs Hawerchuk out of town. Team captain, best player for a decade ect. Trades him for Phil Housley, who he then picks a fight with at a christmas party a few years later and runs him out of town aswell. Not going to go into his obsession with crappy .European players, specifically Russian because he knew they would play for cheap.


Also No, I'm not talking about your Larianov's and Fedorovs. I'm taking about Sergei Bautin(among others), a 24 year old first round pick who couldn't skate, shoot, pass, defend, ect.

 

[SillyRabbit]

It’s Milbury.

Benning should be an option even if it’s not the worst, he’s definitely one of them.

 

[Dion TheFluff]

Yeah, the JFJ inclusion feels weird. He was just a generically ineffective GM.

I feel like if you wanted to include a leafs GM Nonis would be the proper pick. The guy gave out 7 year contract and traded away 2nd round picks like they were going out of style

 

[tony d]

MIlbury, some of his moves as Islanders GM's were real head scratchers.