Confirmed with Link: Jim Rutherford wins GM of the Year!

[Jacob]

With the added benefit of letting Botterill learn from JR and be in a position to succeed him whilst inheriting a very stable situation. That really is the best possible outcome.

On the flip side, you have Arizona with their 27 year old GM who thinks Alex Goligoski is worth $5.5 million per. Ouch.

Yep. All GMs are going to make mistakes, but a rookie is less likely to be able to correct those mistakes in a matter of months like JR did this season. Gonna be a bumpy road in Phoenix.

 

[Zuccarello93]

I wonder if has eaten ice cream out of the SC?

 

[Zero Pucks]

His first year here was a bit questionable. But did he ever make some awesome moves to turn this team around. Bravo JR. Bravo.

 

[WayneSid9987]

The 3rd for Schultz was pretty damn slick when you look back at it now.
He knew this teams strengths and wanted that puck moving depth for the PO's.

 

[BrunoPuntzJones]

I want one of those giant Buddha type statues of JR carved into the side of Mt. Washington.

 

[SweetStache]

Congrats to JR

But who was the last Cup team to have zero players honored with any of these awards?

 

[ozpensfan]

but but but.. Depres!

 

[BrunoPuntzJones]

Congrats to JR

But who was the last Cup team to have zero players honored with any of these awards?

If you exclude the Jennings (which is purely statistical), last year's Hawks. If not, year before's Kings.

Actually, Toews and Brown won the Messier each year. But that's not a major one.

 

[EvGeno]

I wonder how much the other GMs, specifically Botterill since I'm hoping he's the heir apparent, had on all the trades this year? Anyway, good job JR!

 

[shureshot66]

Helps take the taste of crow out of my mouth.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

Congratulations, Hans Moleman!

I was saying Buuu---utherford.

 

[billybudd]

If you exclude the Jennings (which is purely statistical), last year's Hawks. If not, year before's Kings.

Actually, Toews and Brown won the Messier each year. But that's not a major one.

It's pretty bush league that the NHL has a trophy for being the favorite player of a single retired guy who was mostly known for cheap shots while he played.

 

[BrunoPuntzJones]

It's pretty bush league that the NHL has a trophy for being the favorite player of a single retired guy who was mostly known for cheap shots while he played.

Those cheap shots had HEART.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

It's pretty bush league that the NHL has a trophy for being the favorite player of a single retired guy who was mostly known for cheap shots while he played.

I don't even get what the criteria is for the Leadership award. Is it actually ON-ice stuff? Because all they showed were the three finalists visiting hospitals or playing with little kids.

Like, what's the difference then between that and the one Giordano won for community involvement?

 

[Darth Vitale]

Not only was this very well deserved, but it was the flat out easiest choice of all the awards.

Johnston out, Sullivan in

Scuderi out, Daley in

Perron out, Hagelin in

Sutter out, Bonino in

Package out, Kessel in

Adams out, Cullen in

Everything he did this year had a tremendous impact when it mattered most.

Bingoness: this post has it.

 

[BrunoPuntzJones]

I don't even get what the criteria is for the Leadership award. Is it actually ON-ice stuff? Because all they showed were the three finalists visiting hospitals or playing with little kids.

Like, what's the difference then between that and the one Giordano won for community involvement?

It's on and off ice. NHL provides Messier a list and he picks the winner.

 

[Corvidae]

I wonder how much the other GMs, specifically Botterill since I'm hoping he's the heir apparent, had on all the trades this year? Anyway, good job JR!

I wonder this myself, just as I did for thethe trades I didn't like. Unfortunately, I doubt we'll ever find out. I do strongly believe that Botterill brought in Sully for WBS, since that's kind of his domain. Still great stuff and he deserves it.

This new Universe that I fell into in December more interesting sports than my previous one.

2015-2016 Penguins win Cup
Scuderi traded for Daley
JR GM of the Year
Sharks make it to the SCFs
Cleveland wins 2 championships (AHL and NBA)

None of that happens in my previous universe.

 

[ColePens]

Not only was this very well deserved, but it was the flat out easiest choice of all the awards.

Johnston out, Sullivan in

Scuderi out, Daley in

Perron out, Hagelin in

Sutter out, Bonino in

Package out, Kessel in

Adams out, Cullen in

Everything he did this year had a tremendous impact when it mattered most.

I mean... dat change. Unreal. The guy tries stuff. Sometimes it works. Sometimes it doesn't. I cannot believe in 2 years he gave us an identity. I think the guy has crazy guts when he makes his decisions, but you can't deny what he did.

 

[BmxHockey]

At first I was happy there was some change with the GM position, the first coaching hiring was a cluster. The Kessel splash was like okay, he's playing hardball and then everything changed after that weak So Cal visit coming away with 1 point. I liked that move. He gave Jonhnston a fair chance yet still believed that with a change at HC could get more out of the paper winning roster. What foresight.

 

[xxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

I bashed the **** out of him after the Despres trade, and after he let Johnston/Tocchet/Agnew stick around after last season, but his work since we got booted by the Rangers has been unreal.

 

[HuskerTornado]

It's odd that the GM of the Year Award is voted on after the 2nd round of the playoffs, whereas the other Awards are at the end of the regular season.

 

[Captain Hook]

Seemed like every move JR made this past year was a home run. GM of the Year is certainly well deserved.

I agree about the Messier award. It's totally meaningless to me.

I wouldn't mind the NHL creating a Gretzky trophy to honor assists/playmaking. Maybe after Sid retires they can even make a "Secondary Sid" trophy to honor just secondary assists.

 

[Zero Pucks]

I bashed the **** out of him after the Despres trade, and after he let Johnston/Tocchet/Agnew stick around after last season, but his work since we got booted by the Rangers has been unreal.

Wasn't it you that edited his Wikipedia page last year?

I feel bad about laughing at that as much as I did now. But it was kinda needed at the time to help me cope with all that madness.

 

[Jaded-Fan]

I mean... dat change. Unreal. The guy tries stuff. Sometimes it works. Sometimes it doesn't. I cannot believe in 2 years he gave us an identity. I think the guy has crazy guts when he makes his decisions, but you can't deny what he did.

The odd thing is that the hole that they dug under Johnson was so deep that the margin for error and missing the playoffs entirely was there almost to the end. You can almost say take away any of those moves and this team does not even make the playoffs let alone win the Cup.

As for a team identity I remember a number of us talking about that as far back as two or three years ago as a major underlying problem which colored all the other problems.

 

[Jaded-Fan]

It's odd that the GM of the Year Award is voted on after the 2nd round of the playoffs, whereas the other Awards are at the end of the regular season.

Not that odd. A ton of moves happen at the deadline that you can not really judge until you see the team in the playoffs, as those moves are always focused toward that time.