David Poile is the best GM in the NHL AINEC. But perhaps even the best GM in ALL of sports.

[Alberta_OReilly_Fan]

The title speaks for itself. I want to keep this as hockey-related as possible so does anybody have any examples of an NHL GM over the past 20 years that is in this guy's class? Talk about building a team the right way - through the draft, savvy trades, great contracts etc. The only guy that comes to mind is Ken Holland but in some ways he just kept the ship rolling. The team already had great history, Lidstrom on the back-end and a few other solid vets to build around. It was either genius, luck, or probably both, in acquiring Zetterberg and Datsyuk late which also helped carry him onwards.

Without getting this thread shutdown for not being hockey related I would briefly bring up some of the best GMs (in my opinion) outside of hockey:
1) NFL = Bill Belichick & Kevin Colbert
2) NBA = Pat Riley & RC Buford

This is more of a David Poile appreciation post but would like to hear what you guys think.

P.S. Yes I already know Chiarelli sucks.

good gm for sure... let him build at least 1 championship team in 20 years before we attempt to label him the greatest

 

[hockfan1991]

If Poile by no champion standard is the best gm, Doug Wilson of San Jose even has him beat. since 2002 no team in the Nhl has got more points in the regular season then San Jose. Meaning with Doug Wilson they have had the most REGULAR season success of anyone. Still havent won the big one.

Trades like Joe Thornton, Dan Boyle, Dany Heatley, Brent Burns cant be discounted. All major wins for the franchise, Heatley to a lesser degree but the other 3 are franchise players gotten for a lot of scraps.

They used to be tops in playoff series wins as well, they are probably top 5 in that category still.

 

[Machinehead]

It's hard to judge him because of no salary cap & the team he is GM of.

Baseball has a salary cap, and the last 20 years, the Yankees are who they are because of Cashman, not the other way around.

There's not a farm system in sports that compares to the Yankees over the last 10 years, a decade in which they've actually had very few big UFA signings.

 

[Pred303]

hyperbole by another jet's fan in the op. poile is a fine gm. one of the best in hockey. that's as far as anyone should go.

 

[Machinehead]

HF: "Poile can't be the best GM, he has no Cups."

Also HF: "Yzerman is the best GM."

 

[valet]

Marcel Proust is the greatest writer of all time.

 

[ColbyChaos]

Today hfboards has taught us that you don’t have to actually draft and develop your team’s core to be considered for best GM.

 

[Voight]

Cashman and Belichek? Cashman had Jeter drop off Stanton. Is that why? Belichek is a super coach. Jury is out, about GM though.

Post 3 is all you need to know.

Ummm Cashman has 4 World Series rings to his name in 20 years of running the show.

How is the jury out on Belichik? He's been GM since day 1 (18 years). not sure if you knew but the Pats have been to 8 Super Bowls and won 5 of them since then.

 

[Voight]

Entering this season as a General Manager

GM of Washington Capitals (13 seasons)
0 Stanley Cups
7 playoff series wins
1 Division Champions

GM of Nashville Predators (17 seasons)
O Stanley Cups
6 playoff series wins
O Division Champions

Nashville Predators are looking good this season but saying he is the best GM in the NHL AINEC is crazy let along adding possibly in all of sports.

To be fair he built the 98 Caps team that made the finals.

 

[Mike Lowry]

He traded away his captain and one of the best D in the league for a $9million a year 2nd pairing D who he'll be begging for someone to take off his hands by the end of next season. Had Rinne not got hot when he did last year, the Preds miss the playoffs and Poile is gone.

Love HF. Toews been the leader an best player while winning every major championship, but is overrated. Poile hasn't won a single thing, but he's the best ever. I truly believe there should be 2 forums here. One for people who actually know hockey, and one for the OP and the Subban fab club who clearly don't

 

[chizzler]

Ummm Cashman has 4 World Series rings to his name in 20 years of running the show.

How is the jury out on Belichik? He's been GM since day 1 (18 years). not sure if you knew but the Pats have been to 8 Super Bowls and won 5 of them since then.

He's also the coach. How bout the kid in chicago. Epstien!

 

[madinsomniac]

Some people would rather "win" a trade or have a great sounding team on paper than win a cup I guess...

 

[Voight]

He's also the coach. How bout the kid in chicago. Epstien!

Ok? Not sure what being the coach has to don with what I said.

Epstein is also good but less successful than them.

 

[atilla the honeybun]

He will never win a Cup on a team with Johansen and Subban...

Ignorant comment

 

[member 298589]

2 Teams No Cup

 

[Panda Bear]

He traded away his captain and one of the best D in the league for a $9million a year 2nd pairing D who he'll be begging for someone to take off his hands by the end of next season. Had Rinne not got hot when he did last year, the Preds miss the playoffs and Poile is gone.

Love HF. Toews been the leader an best player while winning every major championship, but is overrated. Poile hasn't won a single thing, but he's the best ever. I truly believe there should be 2 forums here. One for people who actually know hockey, and one for the OP and the Subban fab club who clearly don't

Just having a good lol at this post.

 

[bdub24]

He traded away his captain and one of the best D in the league for a $9million a year 2nd pairing D who he'll be begging for someone to take off his hands by the end of next season. Had Rinne not got hot when he did last year, the Preds miss the playoffs and Poile is gone.

Love HF. Toews been the leader an best player while winning every major championship, but is overrated. Poile hasn't won a single thing, but he's the best ever. I truly believe there should be 2 forums here. One for people who actually know hockey, and one for the OP and the Subban fab club who clearly don't

Only 43 messages in and declaring your love for HF already? You're moving awfully fast man. You're gonna scare HF away if you come across that desperate.

 

[Legionnaire11]

The next person who posts "Subban is a 2nd pair d-man" should be permanently banned from HF.

 

[Go Wings]

HF: "Poile can't be the best GM, he has no Cups."

Also HF: "Yzerman is the best GM."

Yzerman has 3 cups and a gold medal

 

[Go Wings]

He also inherited a salary cap train wreck and a team in need of a fairly significant makeover.

The only players left from Shero's last playoff team (2014) are Crosby, Malkin, Letang, and Maatta (and Letang wasn't a part of one cup win).

Prospects? There were some good ones, but you're talking Murray, Jarry, Guentzel, Sheary, and Dumoulin. That's it out of the guys who would be starting on a fully healthy roster. And, comparably, I'd suspect most teams in the NHL were in much better shape than what Shero left in so far as prospects went in the summer of 2014.

Yah guys he ONLY inherited Crosby, Malkin and Letang. 2 of the best 3 centers in the game and a strong offensive defensemen plus Fleury plus Murray your current top goalie etx erc But that's it lmao.

Best GM of all time catagory for sure

 

[Machinehead]

Yzerman has 3 cups and a gold medal

Yeah well, if we're comparing player accomplishments, David Poile had 11 hatricks for Northeastern University.

Checkmate.

 

[KIRK]

Yah guys he ONLY inherited Crosby, Malkin and Letang. 2 of the best 3 centers in the game and a strong offensive defensemen plus Fleury plus Murray your current top goalie etx erc But that's it lmao.

Best GM of all time catagory for sure

My response was to a post disputed a post that said JR inherited an easy situation and nowhere suggests that JR is best GM of all time.

[mod]

That will be all . . .

 

[ThirdManIn]

He traded away his captain and one of the best D in the league for a $9million a year 2nd pairing D who he'll be begging for someone to take off his hands by the end of next season. Had Rinne not got hot when he did last year, the Preds miss the playoffs and Poile is gone.

Love HF. Toews been the leader an best player while winning every major championship, but is overrated. Poile hasn't won a single thing, but he's the best ever. I truly believe there should be 2 forums here. One for people who actually know hockey, and one for the OP and the Subban fab club who clearly don't

You could always just find another forum since we're too ignorant for your taste.

 

[Lateralous]

The OP statement is pretty absurd but there's no doubt that both he and Yzerman have had a pretty spectacular run lately. Both management teams have done an exceptional job with their salary cap, trades and player selection/development.

 

[ziggyjoe212]

If we're comparing GM's who haven't won the stanley cup, Doug Wilson of SJ and Yzerman of TB have BY FAR superior resumes than Poile.

This season is honestly the only time in his 20 years as Nashville's GM where he's assembled a truly good team.