Is Jim Rutherford the best GM of all time?

[Bleedred]

Come on man, this is the kind of stuff that cracks me up.

Just 2 years ago, Rutherford was looked at as one of the most mediocre long term GM's of all time. He made the playoffs like 5 times in 18 or 19 years, despite winning a cup one of those times.

Now he wins two cups in a row and is the greatest of all time?

Come on man.

 

[tarheelhockey]

People undersell the constraints he had in Carolina ... he built a cup team there with a hand tied behind his back.. he had no real ability to spend what he needed to do anything after that

None of that is true.

 

[garnetpalmetto]

People undersell the constraints he had in Carolina ... he built a cup team there with a hand tied behind his back.. he had no real ability to spend what he needed to do anything after that

None of that is true.

Precisely right, tarheel. Rutherford had said before that all he had to do was ask Karmanos to open up the wallet for a specific player if he (Rutherford) thought it'd be a player who'd be an impact player. And the wallet did open up as several of us have pointed out, but for guys like Semin and T. Kaberle.

 

[Peat]

LOL, no.

He ran the Hurricanes right into the ground, in case people forgot.

My take: He's an old-guard GM who is perfect for the Penguins right now. He'll keep the trains running on time and as long as the vet core of Crosby/Malkin/Kessel, etc. are playing at a high level he will add pieces and make moves to supplement that core and keep them competitive.

But he's unimaginative and gives very little thought to the long term. At some point in the future the play of that veteran core will fall off, but he'll refuse or fail to recognize it and he'll keep plugging holes with trades and FA's to stay competitive in the short-term while sacrificing the long term. I think he's also blinded by his loyalties sometimes both to coaches and players which compromises his ability to properly evaluate a situation.

Hopefully he retires before it comes to that point. I'm still a little alarmed by Botterill going and the possibility that Rutherford's going to be here a long time. Guess it doesn't matter too much when the core's still rolling - he's certainly done great at adding to it.

 

[Hackett]

Here's what makes the pens more daunting in the last couple years to me. In previous seasons, the pens have always been star studded, but I always had hope that if you could get to Fleury, then he starts to wilt, and he can't quite recover from it.

I don't get that feeling at all from Murray. He's just solid, no matter what is going on around him. If something doesn't go right, it seems to me that he shakes it off immediately, and his confidence just does not dip.

I really feel that Murray, while not the most important player on the team, he is the biggest x factor that has put them over the top.

 

[joplin]

Ken Holland says hi. I'm sure Lou would like a word as well.

Holland? OK, I just thought he inherited most of that championship caliber team

 

[The Shovel Penguin]

No, but he's proven to be better than people thought he would be.

 

[feds91]

well according to greg wyshynski , rutherford is a senile old man who doesnt know whats going on around him and does whatever.

 

[Whitesnake]

Yeah of all time like the past 15 years. It's not because you weren't born before that nothing else existed....